Every Dog has his Day
by brattyteenagewerewolf
Summary: He'd never asked to be turned but the least the universe could give him in compensation was the peace of knowing that he and his brother would be left alone. The pack to the North is moving south, the one to the South is moving North and in the center is Lovino and his brother, two lone werewolves who might have to give up their freedom to survive. side story to Hair of the Dog.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: this is a side story for my SuFin fic 'hair of the dog', though it can be read alone seeing as how it's set several centuries before the events of HOTD. Don't expect it to get as long as HOTD since it is just a side story based on Lovino and Feliciano's experiences as werewolves (mainly Lovino's). It'll probably be under ten chapters and won't be updated as frequently since I'll be working on HOTD and after that my next project featuring USUK as the main pairing.**

**This story is set during the fifteenth century in Italy many years after Feliciano and Lovino were turned.**

_I've got to keep running the course_

_I've got to keep running and win at all costs_

_I've got to keep going, be strong_

_Must be so determined and push myself on_

_Run over stiles across fields, turn to look at who's on your heels_

_Way ahead of the field, the line is getting nearer but do you want the glory that goes_

_You reach the final stretch, ideals are just a trace_

_You feel like throwing the race, it's all so futile_

_The loneliness of the long distance runner- Iron Maiden_

Lovino cursed under his breath, straightening to stretch out his cramping muscles. He was coated in sweat with dirt under his nails but that was nothing new. He vaguely registered someone shouting at him to quit slacking off and bit back a growl as he returned to hacking at the ground with a rusty hoe.

It was humiliating being bossed around by a human, not even a high ranking one but a simple farmer, but what choice did he have? At least it was a job. He wasn't about to let his brother and himself starve because they had no money and if things got worse he could always try to pay the other packs to leave him alone.

Not that that had ever worked…

He sighed, swearing again when the hoe clipped a rock and jarred his arms painfully. Things hadn't been going well with the borders of his territory lately and they hadn't improved his mood. He and Feliciano had retreated right to the very centre of their territory in an attempt to evade the incursions of the packs to the north and south but still they kept coming. He would catch a whiff of their scent every now and then but he'd yet to come across them.

It was something he really wasn't looking forward to, why couldn't they just leave them alone damn it? He wasn't a fighter and he and his brother barely held a hundred square kilometres of land now that the surrounding packs had started stealing from him. Was it too much to be left just that pitiful amount?

He really wasn't made for this alpha business… but the only other option was Feliciano and like hell he was going to let that idiot lead. They wouldn't even have the territory they did if he was in charge. He wasn't ready to go ask for permission to join another pack either, his pride wouldn't allow it.

He was beginning to wonder if he had a choice though. If it came down to choosing between losing his and his brother's lives along with their territory or submitting to another wolf he knew which option he'd pick.

But how could he choose to give up his freedom like that? And to someone he didn't know as well. He didn't even know the other packs numbers…

He was fairly sure the pack from the south had only two or three members but there was no way he and Feliciano could take them on. As he'd already mentioned they weren't fighters, when trouble came calling they ran away with their tails between their legs regardless of how humiliating it was.

And as for the pack to the north, all he knew was that they definitely outnumbered them.

No he couldn't fight them but he planned on holding their freedom for as long as possible before submitting to whoever found them first.

That was the best thing about what they were in Lovino's opinion, he mused as his shift ended, the freedom. As werewolves they were stronger and faster than any human they would ever come across, the immortality was also a perk apart from the fact that they had to continuously move to hide the fact and that it really ate into their cash supply.

He'd wanted to curse the werewolf that had turned them at first but now he wanted to thank him. Granted the wolf in question had vanished after attacking them when the uproar had drawn nearby workers, obviously assuming the man he'd attacked and his foolish brother who'd tried to save him would die of their injuries. They hadn't though; they'd pulled through and started their existence as werewolves.

They might have been damned (what else could they be? creatures of god weren't killers and wolves most certainly were the devils creatures) but if they were they might as well enjoy it. They tried their best to live as good a life as possible but they'd long since stopped freaking out over every death they left in their wake.

.o.)O(.o.

"How was work Fratello?" Feliciano asked, looking up from his food as his brother came into the house the shared. The place they owned was falling apart, the paint peeling in places but it was home to them.

"Alright I guess… and yours? Did you sell anything?" Lovino shrugged, grabbing some food for himself and settling alongside his brother. He remembered the times when they always said grace before eating but what was the point now? If they were damned they might as well do it properly.

"Ve~ I sold one painting so that should help pay for food for a bit." The younger twin smiled proudly. Whilst his slightly older brother had been using manual labour to pay for everything Feliciano had been painting and selling his work under a pseudonym. He had only sold a few pieces but every little bit helped.

"That's good, about time your lazy ass helped support us…" Lovino grumbled, stabbing a piece of pasta and twirling it around a scuffed fork. He tried his best to be a good brother but Feliciano's cheerfulness got on his nerves at times.

"What's wrong fratello?"

The elder twin sighed, trust his brother to have one of his less oblivious moments now… "It's nothing, I'm tired and sore…" he lied, he tried to keep Feliciano in the dark about the steadily drawing closer wolves. He didn't want him to panic over the fact that he'd come across a fresh scent trail on the way home and that they were steadily running out of places to run to.

"Ve~ do you want me to draw you a bath?" he offered, setting his bowl down.

Lovino shook his head. "We shouldn't waste water like that… I'll be fine after I get some sleep." He sighed softly, glancing up from his food to meet his brother's amber eyes. "Do me a favour will you? Be careful over the next few days…"

**A/N2: just a short chapter for now. For those of you who have read 'Hair of the Dog' and thus know how the packs are structured in the modern day, yes, Lovino and Feliciano were once their own pack with larger and stronger packs making claims to the land they held.**

**Lovino is very religious which is why he believes he's damned. He tries his best to be good but he believes that the bible is correct about wolves and shape shifters being the devil's kin thus making him damned. He's accepted it over the years and none can convince him otherwise.**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: time to catch a glimpse of one of the other packs and a rather adorable Feliciano :)**

**Please review!**

_Beware_

_The woods at night_

_Beware_

_The lunar light_

_So in this grey haze_

_We'll be meeting again_

_And on that great day_

_I will tease you all the same_

_Wolf Moon- Type O Negative_

Lovino groaned as the bed dipped and bounced beneath extra weight. he had been hoping that Feliciano was finally going to spend the night in his own bed but apparently that hope was about to be dashed. The same could probably be said about his hopes to be left in relative peace and sleep but he was going to try to none the less.

"Lovi? Ve? Lovi? Are you awake?" the younger twin murmured, shaking his brother's shoulder and pouting when the foul mouthed Italian continued to pretend to sleep. The only sign that he was faking was the slight eye twitch that started up as Feliciano continued trying to rouse him.

Ignore him and he'll go away Lovino… just ignore him… he thought to himself. He breathed a sigh of relief when the shaking and questions ceased.

His relief was short lived however as a wet canine tongue started licking his cheek and face relentlessly.

"Chigi!" Lovino shouted, sitting bolt upright and rubbing his cheek dry as he glared at the reddish brown wolf sitting on his bed and wagging his tail. The Italian's eyes narrowed before he reached out and shoved his brother off the bed.

Feliciano yelped as he fell to the floor, taking a moment to shift back and pout at the elder twin as he rubbed his head. "Fratello… that hurt…." He murmured, he looked on the verge of tears which made Lovino groan. He hated making his twin cry…

"Ugh… you shouldn't have tried to wake me then… what do you want anyway?" Lovino grumbled, patting the bed and shifting up to allow the more cheerful Italian to sit down. Feliciano immediately broke into a blinding grin; his mood swings could drive his brother insane…

"Ve~ I want to go for a run! Please Lovi? Can we?"

"…you woke me up to ask me to go for a run?"

"Si!"

"You fucking idiot!" Lovino snapped, rubbing at his tired eyes. "I have work tomorrow! I'm tired! And you want to go for a god damn run?"

"Si, can we?"

The elder Italian sighed, one look at his brother's pleading eyes enough to sway him. Feliciano gave the term puppy dog eyes new meaning.

"…fine, just let me put some pants on."

.o.)O(.o.

"I can't believe you talked me into this…" Lovino grumbled, pulling his shirt over his head. The night air was cool on his skin as he yanked his pants off impatiently. He was no longer tired, every part of his body felt alive as he shivered and allowed the change to come over him.

Feliciano was already standing on four legs when the elder Italian was done shifting. Both were reddish brown in colour though it was still easy to differentiate the two. Lovino was a slightly darker shade and quick to snarl and snap whereas his brother was lighter, his jaws bared in a happy pant as his tail waved behind him.

True to his nature Feliciano dropped his forelegs in a play bow once he was certain that Lovino was done. Eager whines came from his jaws at his attempts to convince his brother to play.

_I thought you wanted to run not play? _Lovino snorted, completely ignoring his brother's playful stance in favour of trotting past him. He had a limit on the things he did for Feliciano and had already surpassed that by agreeing to this moonlit folly.

He couldn't deny that it felt good to embrace his lupine form again though. He could feel muscles pulling and stretching beneath a thick layer of fur. He was so caught up in the moment of getting used to his altered structure that he yelped in shock when reddish blur knocked him flying.

_Feliciano! Get off! _He snarled, trying to squirm out from beneath his brother. Feliciano just whined happily though, his tail wagging so fiercely that his entire hind quarters shook.

Lovino gave a final warning growl before lunging up to grab a mouthful of fur and biting his twin hard enough to make him yelp and leap off of him. The elder Italian grumbled to himself as he got to his feet, spitting out fur as he did so. He shook himself to try and get a few stray leaves out of his coat.

_Ve? You're not mad are you Lovi? _Feliciano whimpered, ears going back.

His brother sighed, moving to lick the spot he'd nipped apologetically. _ I just didn't expect it dumbass… now let's go find something to chase si?_

Feliciano immediately lightened up, practically bouncing on the spot as he waited for Lovino's instructions. He was letting out excited yips as his tail once more went mad. He looked like an overgrown puppy.

_Che, relax would you? _The elder Italian muttered, scenting the air before taking off at a steady trot with his nose to the ground. His own tail was started to wag slightly, nowhere near as much as his brother's but still enough to show that he was keen. _We won't catch anything if you make this much noise…_

Feliciano gave an apologetic whine, ducking his muzzle slightly as he quietened and fell in behind his twin. He couldn't do anything about his excessive tail wagging though.

.o.)O(.o.

Lovino gave a content sigh as he lay his head on his paws. The remains of a deer lay nearby whilst Feliciano was happily rolling amongst the grass, even a successful hunt put no damper on his energy. The older twin gave a small chuckle, allowing his eyes to close to take a short nap before they shot open again when his brother jumped up and howled for no reason but pure enjoyment.

_Idiot! Shut up! What if the humans hear you? They think all the wolves here have been wiped out! They'll set traps! And then you will blunder into them and I'll be the one to patch you up! _He scolded as he nipped Feliciano's ear to make him shut up.

The younger Italian's howl stopped with a sudden yelp. _Lovi… why do you always have to bite me… so mean fratello… _he whimpered.

_Because you're a dumbass. _Lovino snapped before freezing. Another howl was now splitting the air before being joined by more voices. The Italians were standing stock still as they counted, the elder's hackles rising as he realised how many they were facing.

Six. There were six strange werewolves nearby.

Probably stronger and larger than they were.

Lovino's hazel eyes were serious as they met his brother's amber gaze. _Run for the house, don't look back! _He ordered, muscles already bunching beneath his fur as he leapt into a flat out run. Feliciano didn't need telling twice and was soon running for all he was worth.

It took all of the elder sibling's focus and will power to allow the younger one to overtake him. All of his instincts told him to get out of the line of fire no matter what. He looked back for a moment when Feliciano reached the cover of the trees and the sight of what lay behind him immediately made him pick up the pace.

A large dark brown and grey wolf was staring at him from the remains of their kill. More lupine shapes were appearing from the shadows including a pale grey wolf that was even larger than the initial werewolf. Time seemed to slow as he gazed at the others, noticing a pure white wolf that stuck close to the larger grey along with a trio of slightly smaller and sleeker individuals. The white wolf snarled in his direction, seeming keen to begin the hunt. They didn't give chase though, something Lovino thanked god for but the Italian could feel their eyes on him the entire race for home.

They needed to get out of there.

**A/N2: a quick note: during the middle ages most of Europe was trying to eradicate wolf populations and Italy was no exception. Thus why Lovino mentions the fact that the humans believe there are no more wolves in their current specific area.**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: prepare for Lovino getting into even more trouble folks :) for an idea of what Lovino and Feliciano look like just Google 'red wolf'. They aren't true red wolves (which are believed to be the result of wolf and coyote hybrids) but they have the same colouration. For the tawny wolves (whose names you'll learn next chapter unless you guess courtesy of knowledge in Hair of the Dog) Google Arabian wolves.**

**Another side story for this world has also been posted under the name 'breaking gleipnir' and is a Dennor back story.**

**Onto the chapter!**

_Walk away from the sun, come slowly undone_

_I can see in your eyes, I've already won_

_I could bleed for a smile, I could cry for some fun_

_Walk away from the sun and tell everyone_

_Walk away from the sun- Seether_

"Ve! Fratello what are we going to do?" Feliciano asked nervously as his brother paced frantically across their living room.

"Shut up and let me think okay!" Lovino snapped, not ceasing in wearing a path in the floor. He had no clue what to do. There were strange werewolves out there who were even bigger than what he'd imagined. They'd be able to track them now.

They had to leave, as soon as possible.

He sighed, pausing to glance at his twin. "Get your things together. When morning comes I want you to go to the stables and use the last of our cash to buy a horse, two if we can afford it. Make sure it's one that doesn't freak out too much over our scent…"

"Sure fratello… what will you be doing?"

"I'll explain to my boss that something came up. Our mom died or something, I'll figure out an excuse. I'll meet you just outside of town and we'll make a run for it." Lovino explained.

"Ve? You'll be okay won't you? What if they catch you?"

"They won't so long as you do your job properly." The older twin snapped. "Now start packing, we don't have any time to waste!"

Feliciano nodded, leaping to his feet with a clumsy salute. "Ve! Si!"

Lovino cursed under his breath as he watched his brother race off. This was not how things were meant to be. He sighed, putting his head in his hands. He didn't know where they were meant to be going from here. How many towns were left to them? They were running out of places to run to…

There was no point cursing and sitting around though he realised as he listened to Feliciano's frantic packing. He forced out another sigh, willing his legs and body to move and help his brother get their things together. They had to move quickly.

.o.)O(.o.

"I'm sorry sir, but it's my mother! She's sick and I can't leave her to fend for herself now that my father's passed. I need to leave for Venice." Lovino lied as he faked a frantic expression. It wasn't hard considering how anxious he was.

"And there's no way you can stay until the end of the season? No-one else who can look after her?"

"No sir, I'm the only one."

"What about your brother? Surely he could look after her."

"My brother's an idiot sir, it's better if I do it."

The farmer sighed, frowning slightly at the turn of events. "Fine but don't expect to be paid for this week." He grumbled.

The Italian frowned, opening his mouth to protest before realising that he didn't have time for such an argument. What did a week's pay matter when he had six werewolves on his tail? "Ugh fine, I've got to go so who gives a damn!" he growled, turning on his heels to leave the farmer standing in the field.

He tried to calm himself as he practically ran through town to where he'd scheduled to meet his brother. He was so on edge that he could barely hold himself together.

He breathed a sigh of relief when he caught sight of Feliciano's terrified face as he sat atop a nervous looking bay gelding. He was scared but scared was still alive.

The horse tossed his head when he pulled to a stop beside him, his eyes rolling at the lupine scent of the two werewolves. Lovino ignored the animal though, gazing up at his brother. "You have everything?"

"Si, sorry fratello, we could only afford one horse!"

The Italian sighed shaking his head. "Don't worry, one's enough. At least he doesn't seem too scared of us which is better than two bolting horses… I'll run beside you once we're further from town if you hold onto my clothes for me." He reassured.

Feliciano nodded, gripping the reigns tightly as he nudged the horse into a trot so that Lovino could keep up at a fast jog. It was quiet but for the horses snorts and foot falls but both werewolves were tense with fear. They didn't want to come across the wolves they'd seen the previous evening.

The younger wolf pulled the horse up when Lovino paused, glancing behind them nervously. "Give me a moment Feli." He warned, quickly stripping and handing his clothes over to his brother who slipped them into a ruck sack as Lovino shifted.

The horse nickered and reared at the sudden appearance of the wolf, Feliciano having to hold tight and pull the reigns back as far as he could to keep him from bolting. Lovino growled, wanting nothing more than to bite the idiotic creature.

He resisted though, trotting ahead of the horse to avoid being kicked before running as quickly as he could. He could hear the horse's panicked snorts as he cantered behind him and relaxed slightly until he heard a snarl and an equine scream.

He whirled around on his haunches in time to see the horse rear, successfully unseating his brother before bolting past him. A massive tawny coloured wolf was leaping from the undergrowth towards his still human twin as Feliciano's eyes went wide. He was trying to change but would never be able to do so fast enough.

Lovino snarled, seeming fiercer than he felt as he launched himself at the larger wolf and knocked him off course. The stranger yelped before whirling round to snap at the Italian's foreleg. The elder twin growled, skittering backwards anxiously. Feliciano was now almost done shifting but he was cowering in fear. If Lovino wasn't a fighter it was nothing compared to the younger Italian.

A howl came from nearby before another answered it and made Feliciano whimper and put his tail between his legs. The strange wolf didn't seem concerned by the calls, stalking towards the darker reddish brown wolf whose ears were pinned back against his skull.

_Damn it Feliciano! Run! _Lovino snapped as he backed away from the stranger. The younger wolf didn't react though, trembling with wide eyes as he stared at snarling tawny coloured wolf. His brother whimpered, leaping away with his tail between his legs as a smaller dark grey wolf burst from the undergrowth near them. Another tawny coloured wolf, this one slightly darker than the largest wolf was at his side as they blocked off the Italians' escape routes.

Lovino was also cowering now, trying to snarl as fiercely as he could as he stood before his brother. This was it. They were done for… He froze when another snarl joined the noise they were making, this one making the three strangers pause.

There was a savage bark as a large dark coloured wolf, his fur a mix of browns and greys, charged at the larger tawny leader of the strange trio. His teeth dug deep into the larger wolf's flank making him yelp before he turned and bit at the newcomer's scruff in an attempt to reach his throat.

The two other original wolves snarled, looking ready to go to their alpha's aid when five more wolves tore free of the undergrowth. A massive pale grey wolf immediately ran to help the dark wolf, whilst the others divided up to harass the other pair. The dark grey wolf was set upon by a slender grey wolf and a white wolf whilst the remaining tawny wolf found himself attacked by the remaining slim greys.

The tawny alpha snarled, giving a final snap at his offenders before squirming free to bolt with the rest of his pack. The remaining pack seemed to be pleased with themselves even as they licked their wounds. One of the greys, a female, tenderly licked one of the other grey wolf's muzzle where he'd been caught with a stray fang. The large brown and grey wolf didn't bother licking his wounds though; too busy wagging his tail as he stared at Lovino.

The larger pale grey wolf gave a curt growl when he tried to move towards the Italians, making the wolf pause and duck his head submissively. The large wolf nodded at the response taking hesitant steps towards Lovino and Feliciano.

The younger Italian whined, rolling over submissively to expose his belly at his approach.

_Fratello! What the hell are you doing?! _Lovino snapped as he growled. He cringed at the large grey wolf's gaze. He wasn't thrilled with the idea of being rescued like a simpering maiden. Just because he needed help didn't mean he was going to go and submit to this wolf even if he was so much larger than he was…

_Maybe they won't hurt us if we do this? _Feliciano offered, remaining limp as the strange wolf sniffed his nose curiously.

The elder twin snorted, remaining upright as the other wolf moved onto him. He may not have been able to meet his gaze but that sure didn't stop him from nipping his nose when it came into range.

**A/N2: ah Lovino… not a clever move…**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: it took me ridiculously long to get this out… I mean it. Four hours! And it's hardly a long chapter!**

**Enjoy a bit from Antonio's point of view :)**

_I'll seek you out_

_Flay you alive_

_One more word and you won't survive_

_And I'm not scared_

_Of your stolen power_

_See right through you any hour_

_I won't soothe your pain_

_I won't ease your strain_

_You'll be waiting in vain_

_I got nothing for you to gain_

_Eyes on fire- blue foundation_

…_I was not expecting that. _Gilbert smirked as he watched his brother snarl at the wolf that had nipped him. The darker wolf yelped at the sound, skittering backwards to cower behind his brother. His previous display of courage was gone as Ludwig continued to growl and charge at him, the massive wolf biting his ear hard enough to draw blood for his insolence.

_They're Italian Gilbert. Most of them are weird. _Francis argued, turning towards the albino wolf. _Though that was a pretty brave move considering how much smaller he is compared to Ludwig. He must be quite the interesting character…_

Antonio whined though, ignoring his pack mates' conversation and moving forward to get in between the German and the two Italians. _Ludwig, leave him be. I'm sure he didn't mean it si?_

The grey wolf paused, turning away from the two whimpering Italians to gaze at the Spaniard. _You know he did._

_Yes but look how terrified he is!_

Ludwig sighed, shaking his head as he took a step back. _Fine. You try and get them in order then. _He growled.

_Why don't you take care of the other one? _Antonio asked, wagging his tail as moved closer to the Italians. _He seemed to like you!_

_I agree with Antonio, besides he looks like he'll be cute. And you can't say you didn't notice it! _Elizaveta said softly as Roderich sighed beside her.

_We have more important things to sort out than this. What about Sadiq, we would have lost his pack by now! _The Austrian grumbled to the alpha's relief. He didn't want to answer the Hungarian woman's accusation.

_Don't get your tail in a twist Roddy, maybe this guy will find a way to get the stick out of my brother's ass. That's better than catching up with the Turk in my opinion! _Gilbert chuckled before rolling his eyes when Ludwig snarled at him.

_Antonio, take care of these two and meet us back at the camp. I'll take them on despite that one's attitude if they're interested. _The German ordered, turning his back on the two cowering werewolves.

The Spaniard nodded as he watched his pack depart through the trees before turning back to the two strangers. The lighter one was watching curiously even though his ears were pinned back whilst the other had returned to growling murderously. Antonio sighed, shaking his lupine head before shifting back to human form.

He grinned, tucking his brunette curls behind his ears. "Hola amigos! You can relax you know, I'm-" he was interrupted by the darker wolf's snarl as he leapt and pinned him to the ground.

.o.)O(.o.

_Lovi! What are you doing? _ Feliciano whined when he saw Lovino standing on the tanned stranger's chest with bared teeth.

The elder twin didn't even spare him a glance, continuing to glare at the man beneath him. _He could kill us! He probably will!_

_Ve? I don't know fratello… he seems nice! _He murmured, getting up and sniffing at the man. His tail was wagging slightly. _Lovi! He smells like tomatoes! Almost exactly like you do!_

_You think everyone's nice! You probably thought that the scary wolf who punched a fucking hole in my ear was nice! And why the hell are you sniffing him? What are you? Some sort of creep?_

_He was! He helped us and he didn't try to kill me even though he was scary! _Lovino growled, looking up to glare at his brother.

He didn't get a chance to shout at his brother as a finger started poking at his fur covered cheek. "Elizaveta was right! You are cute~" the Spaniard grinned, not stopping even when the Italian stared at him in shock.

_Okay, the bastard's losing that god damn finger!_

.o.)O(.o.

"So what are your names?" Antonio asked, wincing as he examined his bleeding finger. Lovino's teeth had torn the skin to ribbons. "That really hurt by the way…"

"Lovino and Feliciano. And you fucking deserved it!" the elder twin snapped, grumbling under his breath.

"Ve~ nice to meet you!" Feliciano grinned. His smile was so wide that his eyes were closed. "I'm sorry about my brother…"

The Spaniard smiled cheerfully. "I'm Antonio! And it's alright, I'm sure Lovi didn't mean it~"

Lovino spluttered at the name, his hazel eyes fixed on the tall brunette's. "Don't call me that bastard! My name isn't Lovi!"

"So cute! You go all red like a tomato when you're angry Lovi!"

The Italian was grinding his teeth as he glared at the Spaniard, apparently lost for words. Feliciano butted in before he could start shouting more abuse at the brunette.

"Ve~ so why didn't you kill us? I was sure you were going to! But you've been so nice! You aren't going to kill us right? Lovi thinks you will…"

"Dio Feli! Shut up would you? I can only deal with one idiot at a time!" Lovino snapped, hitting his brother on the back of his head.

"Aw don't be mad Lovi~ it's not cute to hit your brother…"

"I don't fucking care if it's not cute." The Italian forced out as he rubbed his temples. He could feel a headache coming on from having to deal with not only his brother but another person just as infuriating. "Just explain yourself so I can take this idiot and get as far away from your idiocy as humanly possible!"

Normally he would have just beaten them to a pulp before running away before they could retaliate by now but he didn't feel the urge to this time. Maybe it was because they guy was just like Feliciano who was exempt from such treatment by blood but it was probably because Antonio was bigger and obviously stronger than he was. Yes, he was a coward. Shut up.

The Spaniard scratched the back of his head sheepishly. "Haha… well you can't actually do that…"

"What the hell do you mean by that bastard?"

"You are going to kill us aren't you!?"

"No no, nothing like that! Ludwig told me to get you guys to join us! I think he took a liking to you Feli and… well, he'll take you on too Lovi!"

"Hell no! Tell the bastard that he can go to fucking hell!" the Italian shouted. Antonio's words stung slightly but he ignored it. He already knew that Feliciano was far more likeable than he was.

"It's a good idea Lovi! Please agree!" the Spaniard begged.

"No! Why the hell should I?"

"Well Sadiq is still in the area and he won't give you the same option…"

"Who the fuck's Sadiq?"

"…the wolf that was trying to turn you into mincemeat? You didn't know his name?"

Both Italians went pale as they finally had a name to put to the face of their attacker. Lovino's thoughts were racing as he tried to think up any way out of this. He didn't want to follow that scary wolf and Antonio was annoying, he would go mad staying around them.

Then again being torn apart by Sadiq didn't sound promising either.

He sighed, glancing at his brother who looked on the verge of having a full blown panic attack. "…fine. But this doesn't mean I like you!"

**A/N2: I should be shot for how ridiculously short this is! And I call myself a writer…**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: sorry it took so long! Life has been hectic and probably won't calm down for a few weeks so expect sporadic updates. I move down to Sydney in a few days to start university at the end of the month so I won't be updating as regularly as I have been.**

**I'll do the best I can though!**

**Hetalia isn't mine.**

_Nay more work on Maggie's farm_

_Head away down the autobahn_

_Mine's a portacabin bed_

_Or a bunk in a Nissen hut instead_

_There's plenty deutschmarks here to earn_

_And German tarts are wundersch__ö__n_

_German beer is chemical free_

_Germany's alright with me_

_Sometimes I miss my river Tyne_

_But you're my pretty fr__a__ulein_

_Tonight we'll drink the old town dry_

_Keep our spirit levels high_

_Why aye man- Dire straights_

The first thing Lovino realised upon being dragged back to where the other werewolves had made camp was that Antonio definitely wasn't the worst of the lot. Sure, he still felt the Spaniard was a bastard and an idiot and god knows what else but he was preferable to some of the others.

Especially Ludwig.

The Italian had immediately decided that he definitely did not like the man. Sure he hadn't liked him to begin with (having been nipped on the ear by him) but his opinion of him had gone from bad to worse.

He was from one of the northern states of the Holy Roman Empire.

Lovino hated everything about the Germanic states from the food to the languages (excluding Italian of course) to the people. He had no reason to but truthfully he didn't give a damn about justifying it. All he cared about was the fact that Ludwig was from a part of Europe that he loathed therefore he too had to be loathed.

Nor did it help that he seemed a bit too interested in his brother. If the man so much as laid a finger on Feliciano he swore that he would kick his ass.

Preferably when he was asleep or wasn't expecting it…

What? His ear still hurt damn it! And Ludwig was built like a fucking mountain!

He also wasn't fond of Ludwig's older brother Gilbert. Not because he was from the Holy Roman Empire (he was Prussian, still a bit too German for his liking but a tad more bearable) but because of how obnoxious and loud he was. He'd always thought that Feliciano was bad but at least his voice didn't grate on his nerves. The albino was constantly cackling and talking about how awesome he was.

Roderich seemed a bit too stuck up for his liking as well. He looked down his nose at the two Italians as though he was better than they were. So Lovino didn't like him much either.

And as for Francis… well, he was scarier than Ludwig in Lovino's opinion not to mention that his hands wandered a bit too much for the Italian's liking.

Elizaveta seemed alright though; then again the elder of the two Italians had always been polite to women. It was common courtesy! Though Feliciano was always polite to women as well, but he was polite to everyone so he didn't count.

In other words, in less than ten minutes Lovino had decided that he hated every single person (bar Elizaveta) in his new pack. One was too German, one was too obnoxious, one was too prissy, one was too idiotic, one was too perverted and his brother was too cheerful.

So he wasn't the happiest person around at the moment.

Nor did it help that Antonio, the idiot he was, kept trying to get too close to him!

"Damn it bastard! Leave me alone!" Lovino snapped, scooting even further over to try and put some space between him and the Spaniard. If he moved any more he would find himself on his brother's lap (and as such next to Ludwig). Was it too much to ask for just a bit of personal space?

Antonio pouted slightly. "But Lovi… I want to sit next to you!" he begged, trying to close the distance before he found himself getting an elbow in the gut.

"I don't care. Now move over damn it! Why can't you leave me alone like the others are?"

"But I like you!"

"Well stop! It's annoying!"

"But I don't want to!"

"I don't care!"

"Mein gott… would you both please shut up?" Gilbert asked, standing to poke the fire to keep it going. "I think there might be a few people in town who didn't hear your unawesome argument!"

"No-one was asking you!"

Francis sighed, shaking his head so that a few strands of his long hair came loose from the leather thong holding it back in a ponytail. "Mon ami, you sure can pick them." he murmured before smiling at Antonio who just shrugged.

"We could say the same about you Francis." He pointed out as Lovino took advantage of the distraction to put as much distance between him and the Spaniard as humanly possible.

Elizaveta smiled, laughing softly as she saw the Italian trying to escape. "He's getting away Antonio."

It was official; Lovino now hated every single one of his pack mates. Okay, maybe he didn't hate Feliciano but his brother didn't count! He cursed as Antonio spun around and grabbed his waist to hug him tightly.

"Damn it let me go!"

"No!"

"Both of you shut up!" Ludwig snapped, making the pair cringe as they both fell silent. Lovino looked pissed off whilst Antonio just looked apologetic.

"Sorry Ludwig…" he grinned sheepishly while the man he was holding onto just scowled.

"Good, maybe now we can get things sorted out…" Roderich sniffed as Elizaveta rolled her eyes.

"Don't look down on them like that love, we were once that bad."

"I was never as bad as they are!"

"Ja you were Roddy, you were shit scared of Liz. Hell, you made Lovi and Feli here look brave!" Gilbert laughed.

"Gilbert, if you want to keep those 'five meters' you boast about I'd shut up." Elizaveta warned, making the albino stop speaking immediately. The Hungarian woman may have been smiling light heartedly but there was a dangerous glint to her eyes.

Ludwig's glare silenced them all though before he coughed to ensure he had everyone's attention. "We'll stay here for the time being, we'll start heading north again in the morning."

"Is that wise bruder? What about Sadiq and his pack?" Gilbert asked after glancing warily at Elizaveta to ensure she wouldn't attack him for speaking.

"He won't try anything now. He'll want to let his wounds heal. Matthias though is a different problem. He knows we were heading south and might take advantage of the fact now that he has someone at his back."

"Two against six Ludwig? Matthias may be slightly crazy but even he wouldn't risk those odds, especially now that there are eight of us. If he had planned on it he would have done so before now, back before we re-joined you when he would have stood a chance." Francis pointed out.

The German shook his head. "Regardless I'd rather ensure that he doesn't make an attempt on it. This is Matthias we're talking about…"

"Okay, I don't mean to be rude or anything but could someone please explain what the fuck is going on?" Lovino growled before anyone else could comment.

"It looks like we're heading north to check the northern borders. Matthias, I'm sure you've heard of him he's the wolf controlling the Nordic countries, might make a move on them now that they're unprotected." Antonio explained cheerfully.

"For your information, I have not heard of Matthias."

"Si, we don't know any other wolves but you guys! Ve… and Sadiq I guess…" Feliciano added.

The rest of the werewolves blinked in surprise. "How could you not know who the other alphas are? Didn't the wolf who turned you explain?" Elizaveta asked. It had been one of the most stressed parts of her education as a werewolf. Ludwig had refused to let her go off without knowing exactly who she should look out for. She may not have known all the details about those who followed each alpha but she at least knew who each of the big players were.

"Ja, I mean you guys have been around for a while now, how on earth don't you know?" Gilbert added, raising an eyebrow.

"We don't know who turned us damn it! It's only been me and my brother since we were turned!"

Feliciano nodded, "ve~ the wolf that turned us left us."

"It's like Arthur all over again…" Francis mused before sighing. "But none of us have ventured into Italy for centuries now…"

"Si, do you remember the wolf that bit you? Can you describe him?" Antonio asked glancing at the pair curiously.

Lovino shrugged, he'd been attacked from behind so he'd never gotten a glimpse of his attacker. Feliciano however nodded, face scrunched up in concentration. He'd been the one to run to his brother's aid so he had in fact gotten a good look at the wolf in question.

"It was dark but I think he was dark coloured, dark brown or grey maybe. Big as well, bigger than even Ludwig!" he chirped cheerfully as though he wasn't speaking about the attack that had changed his and his brother's lives.

Ludwig sighed, glancing at Gilbert. "Sounds like Julius…" he mused.

"He always was a bit careless; he probably assumed they'd die. Aldrich was always far more cautious not to mention that his fur was far lighter." The albino added.

"Well I guess that gives us more reason to head north then. At least that way we can teach them the things they should have been taught centuries ago without worrying about being attacked. It'll take us ages to reach the Danish border anyway."

"Don't we get a say in this?" Lovino asked with a scowl. "What if we don't want to go with you?"

"We can't leave you for Sadiq's lot to find Lovino, besides we physically can't leave you." Antonio grinned.

"And pray tell why that is?"

"Of course you wouldn't know…" Ludwig mused before smiling awkwardly at Feliciano. The Italian cringed at first before realising that the grimace he was seeing was meant to be reassuring nd grinning back. "We can't leave you for the same reason Roderich can't leave Elizaveta."

"Si! We think you two might be our mates! But we'll explain all that on the way to Brunswick."

Lovino groaned at his words. The idea of mates sounded like something he would loathe (especially if it meant dealing with the idiotic Spaniard who had yet to let go of him) but it was their destination that bothered him more.

Brunswick. One of the states within the Holy Roman Empire. He was going to have to travel to Brunswick with people he hated, through an empire he hated with only a single cart and horse (which seemed used to the scent of werewolves which was something at least) which he was probably going to end up hating. And to make matters worse Feliciano actually seemed happy about heading off to the Germanic states that made up the Holy Roman Empire.

It was official, he hated his life.

**A/N2: Lovino isn't happy. Feliciano doesn't care :) I'll try to do a bit from Feliciano's perspective next chapter.**

**At least my history should be correct here… after all Germany didn't actually exist at this point of time which would make Ludwig from the part of the Holy Roman Empire (also supporting my whole Germany=HRE view) that later became Germany.**

**The whole Arthur thing will be covered in the next chapter of 'let sleeping dogs lie'. And as an extra note, this story also overlaps with 'breaking gleipnir' as they are set in the same sort of period.**

**Review asseblief!**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: and I'm now in Sydney! And it's kind of like a safer and cleaner version of Observatory/Mowbray back home :) though apparently I look like the sort of girl who blows planes up since I got stopped for an explosives test. Ah, the joys of being South African, no-one trusts us!**

**And the joys of being a college student: my supper is a cheese sandwich or two and my desk is my art easel. *shrugs* eh, story of my life. The freedom's worth it!**

**Enjoy Lovino ruining everyone's morning and Ludwig being clueless when it comes to relationships :)**

_You can dig me up a grave_

_And try to stick me in the ground_

_You can tie me to the bed_

_And try and beat me half to death_

_But you can never keep me down_

_And I will survive_

_Cause you're my Mississippi princess_

_You're my California queen_

_Like the duchess of Detroit_

_And every city in between_

_You can slap me in the face_

_You can scream profanity_

_Leave me here to die alone but_

_I'll still follow you home_

_I'll still follow you home_

_Follow you home - Nickleback_

Feliciano couldn't understand why Lovino was so frustrated by their situation. Okay frustrated was putting it lightly, the Italian was frowning so much that he younger of the pair was unsure of whether or not the deep frown lines would ever fade. He'd already told him that he'd get wrinkles like that but his advice had only earned him several rather creative swear words.

He'd laughed when Antonio had frowned and poked his fuming brother's cheeks to convince Lovino to listen to Feliciano though.

That could have been a reason why he was angry actually. Lovino liked his personal space unlike Feliciano who had no concept of the idea. As far as the younger twin was concerned there was nothing as nice as being able to curl up flush against someone else. The sensation was comforting in his opinion, especially when it came to sleeping arrangements.

But alas, Lovino had no interest in sleeping beside his brother or anyone for that matter, especially whilst he was struggling to keep the Spaniard at bay. Personally Feliciano found Antonio's interest and clinginess towards his brother adorable (not that he'd say so again…).

But cute or not that didn't change the fact that Feliciano was facing the prospect of sleeping alone. He really didn't want to get punched by his brother again and since Antonio was currently chasing him he couldn't sleep beside them… Roderich and Elizaveta were already curled up together so they were out of the question. Both Ludwig and Lovino had also glowered at Francis and Gilbert when they'd offered so he supposed they were out of the question too.

So that left one person. Sure Lovino hadn't ceased shooting him dirty looks whenever he wasn't glaring at Antonio but hey, you can't please everyone right?

And that was how he found himself sneaking under Ludwig's blanket.

The German shouldn't mind he theorised. After all, the man had just explained just what the mate bond was and if they were soul mates no-one would think anything of them sharing a bed (well, blanket) right? It would be thought of as completely normal for someone and the person they were meant to be with to sleep together right?

Well Lovino would but he was convinced that the whole mate thing was just something the Spaniard and German had come up with to get in their respective pants so he didn't count.

Not to mention he'd finally passed out much to Antonio's glee. After all, when Lovino slept there was nothing in the world that would wake him which meant that the Spaniard could hold him close to his heart's content. Sure the Italian would be pissed come morning but right now he was completely compliant.

So there was no-one to scold Feliciano when he snuck over to where the blonde wolf slept peacefully. Ludwig didn't even wake up when the Italian slipped beneath the blanket and wrapped his arms around the other man's chest. He stirred slightly but the minute the smaller man settled he too fell still.

His surprise when he woke up to find Feliciano there was understandable.

.o.)O(.o.

There was no peaceful awakening when the sun rose. No-one woke to the birds chirping or the gentle touch of sunlight on their faces. It wasn't even a gentle shove from the first to wake that shook them from their slumber.

Instead it was a single loud and wordless shriek followed by a series of curses and insults when Lovino woke to find Antonio's head on his chest and hand where it had no right to be (regardless of how unaware its owner may have been due to his own unconsciousness).

This of course led to half of the pack leaping upright to locate the threat (some of them shredding their clothes in the process). The others however were too busy nursing a bruised head courtesy of a well-aimed punch (Antonio), cursing and attempting to beat said injured individual to a pulp (Lovino), used to such morning antics and thus still asleep (Feliciano) or trying to pry said sleeping individual off of themselves with a confused expression (Ludwig). Meanwhile the horse tied down near the cart was spooking and rearing which only served to startle the werewolves further.

So it was far from an uneventful morning in everyone's opinion.

In fact far from uneventful didn't cover it.

.o.)O(.o.

Feliciano woke up to chaos and a still confused German staring at him.

Ludwig aside he could see Lovino scowling at Antonio who was rubbing his head sheepishly, Gilbert was cursing as he tried to calm the horse whose eyes were rolling wildly, Roderich was glaring at the elder Italian as he dug through the carts contents to try and locate some more clothes and there were two growling wolves with raised hackles in their camp (Elizaveta and Francis by the look of it since they were the only ones missing).

Feliciano blinked in confusion before returning to meeting Ludwig's eyes. The blonde had an eyebrow raised as he glanced at the Italian's arms which were still wrapped around his body as though glued there.

"Care to explain this Feliciano?"

The Italian chuckled sheepishly, tentatively releasing his death grip. "Ve… I couldn't sleep? You don't mind do you?" he asked, biting his lip. He hoped he hadn't angered the man; he looked like he wasn't someone who one should anger.

Ludwig sighed, slightly relieved now that he didn't have an Italian hanging off of him. He may have been interested in Feliciano (and almost completely certain he was his mate, he didn't have much in the way of previous relationships to use as a reference) but such behaviour was slightly unnerving. "No it's fine I guess… just try to sleep on your own if you can." He murmured unsure of what else to say.

Gilbert groaned at his brother's comment having finally calmed the panicked equine down as Francis and Elizaveta both changed back and accepted the clothes an uncomfortable looking Roderich handed them. "Bruder, no offense but you suck at relationships…" he grumbled as Feliciano looked downcast. "You're meant to say 'no problem, it would be awesome to share my bed with you!' and then try to either keep your hands off of each other until we reach Brunswick so you don't scar Roddy for life or go off into the woods for some fun!"

Ludwig didn't respond to the comment but his brother smirked when he saw the tips of his ears go slightly pink. He loved embarrassing the younger man!

**A/N2: ah Gilbert, it's not nice to embarrass your brother!**

**Review asseblief!**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: enjoy a flashback from Gilbert about his brother! And I've started posting things on tumblr as well if any of you are on there! I go by 'brattyteenagewerewolf' on there as well :) the SuDen fic that I posted on here but had to take down to avoid being reported is currently on there.**

_I am your tragedy and your fortune_

_I am your crisis and delight_

_I am your profits and your prophets_

_I am your art, I am your vice_

_I am your death and your decisions_

_I am your passion and your plight_

_I am your sickness and convalescence_

_I am your weapons and your light_

_I see you holding your grudges_

_I see you gunning them down_

_I see you silencing your sisters_

_And I love you still_

_And I love you still_

_I see you lie to your country_

_I see you forcing them out_

_I see you blaming each other_

_And I love you still_

_And I love you still_

_Still- Alanis Morissette_

"So who holds the territory to the East?" Gilbert quizzed as he moved at a fast walk beside the cart. His ruby eyes were on the two Italians who had taken the lazy option of riding in the cart along with Roderich (who at least had the excuse of controlling the cart). Ludwig had grown sick of his brother's teasing and had thus decided to scout ahead along with Elizaveta and Antonio whilst Francis remained behind to tease the Austrian. As the pack's beta it had fallen upon the Prussian to continue the pair of newcomers' education.

Lovino sighed, rolling his eyes. "This is fucking boring…" he grumbled, ignoring the question.

"Just answer it and we can stop then."

"Don't think so. Because if I answer that question then you'll start asking me who the ottoman pack's alpha's second cousin three times removed will be…" the elder Italian growled, making the Prussian sigh and turn to the younger one who also wasn't paying much attention.

"Feli?"

"Ve?" the Italian jumped, his eyes having been elsewhere along with his thoughts. Gilbert calling his name had caught him unaware.

"The alpha to the east, who is he and describe him?"

Feliciano blinked as his brow furrowed and he tried to think it through. "Um… Yao Wang? A skinny Asian man with dark and close cropped hair who's rather stoic?"

Gilbert sighed softly, shaking his head. "You got his name and the fact that he's Asian correct but you described his beta Kiku…" he grumbled. "Yao is short and skinny with long black hair pulled back into a pony tail most of the time."

He couldn't believe how long it was taking for the pair to learn these small things… it made him miss the days where he was responsible for teaching Ludwig… of the days when the German was just getting used to being a werewolf before he became the alpha he was today.

.o.)O(.o.

236 AD

"Gilbert, will you please stop pacing?" Aldrich barked at the Prussian wearing a path into the forest floor. Nearby Matthias was chuckling as he glanced up from honing a dagger to get the edge sharp once more, one too many hunting trips had left the once razor sharp blade on the blunt side. The albino hadn't ceased pacing the entire time since they'd stopped to break camp.

Gilbert ducked his head sheepishly, moving to sit down in front of the crackling fire. Despite stopping his incessant pacing he continued to twitch as though he longed to get back up and start up again. "Sorry… it's just been over a decade since I last saw him. I don't have a clue what he'll be like now…" He offered defensively.

"I doubt much has changed in a decade. He'll just be a little taller that's all." Matthias shrugged, slipping the now sharpened dagger back into its sheath.

The albino raised an eyebrow. "When I left he was only a kid. He'll be turning twenty one this year…" he argued. "I don't even know what he'll look like… and what if he hates me for disappearing like I did? What if he doesn't want to join us?" he started ranting.

Aldrich sighed, rolling his eyes before glancing at the Dane who was laughing under his breath. "Take him for a run will you? Maybe that will calm him down… I'll keep an eye on the fire." he ordered making the man shut up immediately.

"But I just got comfortable!" the blonde protested before cringing when the older man fixed him with a steely glare.

"Now Matthias."

The Dane sighed, standing obediently to shed his shirt. "Alright, alright… we'll be back soon. Come on Gil." He grumbled as the Prussian joined him in stripping. He hated it when Aldrich got all bossy like that even if he did have the right to do so.

.o.)O(.o.

"I thought you said that he was your 'little' brother…" Matthias asked with a raised eyebrow as he stared at the man working in the field. Even Gilbert seemed a bit stunned by just how big Ludwig had grown to be. The man had to be at least a head taller than his older brother and twice as broad, more muscular in contrast to the Prussian's wiry form.

"He was… when the hell did he get so big?" the albino mumbled. He couldn't get the image of the small blonde boy out of his head despite staring at the strong man he'd grown up to be.

Aldrich shook his head, stepping out from the shadows to touch Gilbert's shoulder. "Go wait back at camp; we'll bring him back there." He promised.

"Hell no! He's my brother, I want to speak to him!" the Prussian protested.

"You're too involved Gilbert and you're also a tad distinctive. You'd be readily recognised." The older man insisted as the albino sighed.

"That's really not awesome… but fine." He growled, stalking back into the shadows beneath the tree. He knew that Aldrich was correct but that didn't mean that he had to like it…

.o.)O(.o.

"…bruder?" the voice was little more than a murmur but it still made Gilbert sit right upright. It was rougher and deeper than he remembered but below the changes there was still that same voice that the Prussian couldn't forget. Red eyes met blue for the first time in years as the brothers stared at one another.

"…Ludwig." Gilbert couldn't believe how different the man was as he stood and took a shaky step towards his younger brother. Ludwig looked like he'd seen a ghost but he didn't pull away when the albino hugged him.

"You were dead… we found your clothes and blood… there were wolf tracks everywhere…" he mumbled, trying to make sense of the situation. He hadn't seen the albino in twelve years and now he stood in front of him, not a day older than when he'd vanished.

"Kesesese! I'm too awesome to die bruderlein!" Gilbert laughed.

"Then where were you? What the hell happened?"

The Prussian sighed at the accusations behind the words. He and his brother had been exceptionally close before he'd been turned. He could feel that Ludwig must have felt abandoned and betrayed to learn that his supposedly dead brother was actually alive the entire time. "…I was attacked." He admitted before forcing the words out. "I'm a werewolf bruder…"

Ludwig blinked, unsure of how to respond. "…what?"

"I'm a werewolf. Matthias and Aldrich are as well."

The younger German's eyes darted to the two other men who were seated further away to give them privacy before returning to the other's red gaze. "Why are you here bruder?"

"I missed you Luddy… I spoke to Aldrich and he's willing to take you on if you want to join us." Gilbert offered, his eyes pleading.

Ludwig sighed, looking slightly doubtful as he shook his head. He found the concept of Gilbert being a werewolf hard to take. "…prove it. If you're truly a werewolf prove it." he growled.

He wasn't expecting the man to throw him a shit eating grin and start to strip but that was nothing compared to the shock that ran across his pale features when his brother's skin and body twisted and changed before his eyes. Stark white fur sprouted as limbs shortened into canid ones, his face lengthened to produce a shapely muzzle.

The younger of the two brother's stared in shock at the large wolf standing before him, noting the scarily familiar red eyes set within the white furred wolf's face. "…Gilbert?" he mumbled almost silently.

The wolf whined, stepping forward to rub his cold nose against Ludwig's hand and giving it a small lick.

"He wants to know if you believe him now." Aldrich offered, watching the wolf intently.

"You can understand him?"

"No, he's just obvious." Matthias grinned earning himself a growl from the albino. The wolf didn't seem to stay mad for long though, turning his muzzle back to his brother and whining again. His eyes were questioning and it didn't take a genius to know what he was asking.

Ludwig frowned, thinking rapidly. He truly didn't have anything to stay for, nothing to keep him from following his brother…

He sighed, kneeling so that he was at eye level with his brother and rolling up his sleeve to bare the skin of his forearm. Gilbert cocked his head hesitantly, gazing at the man as though ensuring he did have permission. Ludwig nodded curtly, watching as the albino gently took his limb between his formidable jaws. He held the arm gently, applying the barest of pressure before whining apologetically and biting down.

The younger man hissed as the scent of blood filled the air.

.o.)O(.o.

"SchieBe bruder… you're a natural at this!" Gilbert complimented as he stared at the large grey wolf. It had only been a few days and already Ludwig was acting like he'd been doing this his entire life. It seemed to be frustrating Matthias though just how strong and capable the other was proving himself to be and Gilbert could understand why. The way Ludwig was improving he wouldn't be surprised if the man overtook both himself and Matthias in the pack's pecking order.

The German didn't respond to the praise but for a short sniff which made Gilbert smile proudly. His brother truly had the makings to be a great wolf…

.o.)O(.o.

Current day

Gilbert sighed as he remembered, his gaze going to his brother as he trotted from the shadows of the trees. He had become a great man over the years and he truly didn't mind the indignity of being second best to his younger sibling.

He blinked as Feliciano darted past him, having jumped from the cart to run to the massive grey wolf and wrap his arms around the alpha's thickly furred neck. It only took him a few moments to smile at the sight even though Ludwig appeared uncomfortable with the gesture.

Feliciano may not have been the fastest learner but if he made his brother happy he didn't mind.

**A/N2: we'll get back to the spamano next chapter :)**

**Review replies:**

**HK: I'm glad you're enjoying them! Thanks for thinking so and thanks for the review!**


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: and we're back to Lovino! And me pulling out another minor plot twist with an even larger one next chapter! Because the plot twist in Breaking gleipnir wasn't enough for me :)**

**Now I should probably get some lunch seeing as I haven't eaten in 24 hours and then brave the weather to get myself something to have for supper…**

_Breathe, breathe in the air  
Don't be afraid to care  
Leave but don't leave me  
Look around and choose your own ground  
For long you live and high you fly  
And smiles you'll give and tears you'll cry  
And all you touch and all you see  
Is all your life will ever be_

_Breathe- Pink Floyd_

"Aw c'mon Lovi! Why won't you sit with me?" Antonio pouted as the Italian glared at him fiercely.

"Because the last time I was anywhere near you you ended up molesting me in my sleep!"

"I didn't mean to do that mi tomate, it was an accident…"

Lovino growled under his breath. "Okay, what the hell is up with all those nicknames?" he shouted. "My name is not 'Lovi' and it most certainly isn't 'mi tomate'!"

The Spaniard just scratched his head sheepishly as he smiled, grabbing the Italian round the middle to hug him tightly. "Because you're too cute not to have a nickname Lovi!"

"Chigi! Let go of me you bastard!" the smaller man screeched. Several people in the pack sighed and glowered in his direction at all the fuss he was putting up. Not ten minutes seemed to go by without the Italian cursing or shouting at the Spaniard and only Feliciano and Antonio seemed unperturbed by the fact.

"But Lovi I want to hug you!"

"I don't care! Just leave me alone!" Lovino snapped squirming free to put as much distance between him and the other brunette as possible. "I mean god damn it is it too much to ask for just a little space?" he growled before striding off into the trees surrounding the road they were travelling down.

Antonio looked prepared to chase after him but paused when Ludwig spoke. "Let him cool off, he'll catch up to us when he's ready too. We need to get moving anyway." He said simply, shaking his head at the Italian's antics. The two twins were truly chalk and cheese when compared to one another. Not for the first time he was glad that it was Feliciano he'd fallen for instead of Lovino. He was far less hassle.

.o.)O(.o.

Lovino was swearing repeatedly as he kicked at the dirt and stones beneath his feet. Why the hell did Antonio have to keep bothering him like that? It was confusing damn it!

He already knew that the others were less than fond of him. Only Feliciano and Antonio were the exception to the rule and since the Italian was his flesh and blood brother he didn't count since he had no choice but to like him.

So why did Antonio have to go and act like he was wanted? Why did he have to behave like he was worth something and make him believe for even a second that maybe people could like him?

He sighed, sinking to the ground with his back pressed against the firm trunk of a tree. Sometimes he wondered why he even bothered. He was too rude and impolite to be likeable, forever trapped in his brother's shadow. Feliciano was liked by everyone and when compared to Lovino he looked positively angelic.

He wondered if he should even bother going back. Feliciano would be alright without him now, he had that dumb potato bastard to look after him and everyone in the pack had already fallen head over heels for the cheerful Italian. They wouldn't miss him if he went his own way.

Again Antonio entered his mind, making him bite his lip. He hated that the man was never far from his thoughts. He hated that uncomfortable feeling in his stomach whenever the man glanced his way or hugged him. It was wrong, he couldn't accept it.

He might be damned but why the hell did it seem like he couldn't stop breaking the rules specifically laid down within the bible. Why did every little thing he did lead to him damning his soul further?

_Thou shalt not kill._

But he'd done so more times than he could count…

_Thou shalt not take the lord's name in vain._

But he couldn't help it, it just came out…

_Thou shalt not covet._

But his brother had everything he didn't have… how could he not be jealous and desire Feliciano's easy way of socialising, how likeable he was…

_Thou shalt not lie with mankind as with womankind._

But why did he want it? Why did his heart skip a beat whenever Antonio was around? Why did he long to be held by him and accepted despite all of his flaws? How could he turn away from the one person who seemed willing to put up with all his bullshit?

He cursed loudly, laying his head in his hands. He could push Antonio away, shout at him even but he would eventually fall prey to his emotions. He may have been prone to anger but he knew that he couldn't fight forever. There was something there even if he preferred to deny it. He would eventually damn himself and the Spaniard further.

He couldn't stay. He couldn't risk it…

He sighed, eyes stinging at the thought. He would have to leave his brother. He couldn't stay and risk it. He knew that Feliciano wouldn't understand but this was what was best for him, for all of them. Only the Italian and the Spaniard would miss him but he hoped they'd understand.

"I'm sorry Feli…" he mumbled, pushing himself to his feet and glancing to where he knew his brother was. "And to you as well tom- I mean Antonio… I'm sorry." he mumbled before turning away. Tears pricked at the corners of his eyes as he started running, his chest soon heaving as he tried to draw oxygen. Part of him wanted to pause and change shape but he was scared to.

What if his desire to leave wasn't enough? What if the moment he changed he heard their voices in his mind? He didn't want to face the scolding he knew he'd receive for his decision, didn't want to hear Feliciano's sadness.

So he continued running, ignoring the pain in his legs and chest. He told himself that it was only his lungs that hurt and not his heart. He told himself that it was for the best. It would be best for Feliciano, best for Antonio.

He told himself that his heart wasn't breaking as he turned away from the one person who'd ever accepted him for what he was.

.o.)O(.o.

"He's been gone for too long…" Antonio frowned as he glanced at the setting sun. It would be dark soon but Lovino had yet to return and he would be lying if he said he wasn't worried. How long had he been gone now? Six hours? Seven?

Feliciano also seemed to be worried, eyes continuously darting away from Ludwig to search the treeline. Lovino had never been gone for this length of time before no matter how much he needed to cool down. He'd always returned within an hour or two.

"I'm sure he's fine Toni." Gilbert argued, "You just worry too much about him."

The Spaniard shook his head, getting up with a sigh. "I don't know… I think something's wrong… I'm going to go look for him." He stated, shedding his clothes and tucking them away as everyone raised an eyebrow.

"You're just encouraging him Antonio." Roderich said softly, looking frustrated to be agreeing with Gilbert. "Leave him be and maybe he'll grow up a little."

The brunette glared in his direction but didn't comment. He knew that most of the others didn't understand and he felt it would be more beneficial to chase after Lovino than to argue with Roderich. The Austrian was a bit stuck up in his opinion and he'd never get his point across even if he argued for all eternity.

"We'll hold some food for you mon ami." Francis offered, not even bothering to try and talk him out of chasing after the Italian. He'd been with Antonio for long enough to know that doing so would prove pointless. Besides that he was truly glad that the Spaniard had found someone even if that someone was questionable.

Antonio nodded gratefully, taking a moment to shift before darting into the forest with his reddish brown tail streaming behind him like a flag. He didn't like the silence that greeted him in this form but he pushed on regardless. He couldn't shake off the feeling that something was wrong as he followed the road back to where Lovino's scent started.

**A/N2: how could this get worse? Easily. Just wait for the next chapter :)**

**Yes, I am evil but please review!**


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: and tomorrow I have my first lecture! I'm scared… so enjoy a rather violent chapter courtesy of a plot twist!**

**Hetalia isn't mine.**

_Nomad, rider of the ancient east  
Nomad, rider that men know the least  
Nomad, where you come from no one knows  
Nomad, where you go to no one tells_

No one dares to even look or glance your way  
Your reputation goes before you they all say  
Like a spirit that can disappear at will  
Many claim of things but no one's seen you kill

_The nomad- Iron Maiden_

He wasn't sure how long he'd been running now, long enough for his legs to start hurting and for his chest to heave in an attempt to get air that much was for sure but the exact time escaped him. He shivered slightly as he paused to try and catch his breath, the night air had a slight chill to it that was only accented by the water that clung to his shoes and clothes from where he'd thoughtlessly crossed streams and creeks. Sure he could have gone round them or searched for a bridge but he'd been so desperate to get away that he'd just charged straight through them.

He was actually amazed that he hadn't drowned doing so. The last one he'd crossed had ended with him slipping on the weed covered rocks and he'd been swept slightly downstream before getting his footing once more. He sighed, pulling his shirt over his head to try and squeeze the water out. He'd probably freeze regardless but damp clothes were better than soaked ones.

He wondered whether or not his absence had been noted yet. It surely had to have been… he'd been gone for hours now. He wondered whether they'd send anyone after him but doubted it. Feliciano would want them to, maybe even Antonio but they didn't have a say in it. Ludwig would be the one to make the decision and it was obvious that the German didn't think much of him. He cared about his brother not the older twin who was nothing but trouble.

His breathing was slightly easier now thankfully, no longer forceful gasps that felt like they were tearing his throat apart but slight pants. His legs were shaking from all the exertion they'd been put through but he didn't care, he just slipped his shirt back on with a shiver as the wet material clung to goose pimpled flesh and forced himself to keep going.

Lovino kept his pace to a walk this time; he suspected that pushing himself any further would only lead to him collapsing. Besides, the pace didn't matter… no-one would be following him after all…

He sighed at the thought, almost wishing that someone would come after him. He didn't want to be alone even if he deserved it…

.o.)O(.o.

Antonio's lips curled upwards in a frustrated snarl as he reached the opposite bank. Water was dripping from his fur in tiny rivulets but he didn't care. All he cared about was the fact that unlike every other stream he'd crossed Lovino's scent didn't continue on the other side. The Italian had been running in a single direction up until now but here the scent vanished as though he knew he was being followed.

He cursed softly, turning upstream to try and track it down. He couldn't understand why Lovino had run like this. He hadn't been chased like he'd suspected at first since there was no other scent except for his so why had he left? Had he been too forward? Did he not like him?

_Any sign of him? _The voice made him start before he calmed. He hadn't been expecting anyone to check up on the search yet but now that he thought about it he had been gone for a while…

_Not yet Ludwig… I just lost his trail at the river so I'm going to try and pick it up again. I think he's trying to shake me off…_

He could sense the other wolf nod and sigh as he started trotting up the river bank with his nose to the ground. He was looking for anything that could help him locate the Italian, a scent, footprints, anything…

_Feliciano's getting anxious, let us know when you find him or if you need help. One of us will check in on you again later. _The German said softly, glancing at where the Italian was pacing. Elizaveta seemed to be trying to calm him for which he was grateful. _We'll start heading back in your direction when it gets light if Lovino doesn't re-join us here._

Antonio nodded, not glancing up from the earth in front of him. _Si, I'll see you later then… _He promised. He sighed when the other's presence faded from his thoughts as he changed back leaving him to the loneliness once more.

He knew that Lovino was thought of less than fondly by some of his pack mates. He was rude, loud and brash but that didn't mean that they had to look down at him. None of them had outwardly said anything about it but he could see the truth. He just wished that they could look past his rough exterior and see what he could see.

Lovino wasn't a bad person…

.o.)O(.o.

Lovino was cursing as he stood, frozen in spot, staring at the group he'd barged in on. He really should have seen it coming but he'd been so distracted by his thoughts that he'd been paying no attention to his surroundings.

Though he wasn't the only one who was surprised. The trio before him all wore expressions of confusion as he stared at them. Even the brunette who'd been roused from sleep by his noisy entrance was staring at him in surprise.

"I think you're lost pup." A man with a white mask over his eyes mused as he stood warily. What little of his eyes that could be seen behind the mask were darting around, possibly searching for any sign of anyone else. "Where's your pack?"

The slight movement had Lovino take a step back with wide eyes. "You're not meant to be here…" he forced out, trying to appear braver than he was. That didn't stop him from shaking as Sadiq approached him, if it came down to a fight he was horribly outnumbered… He didn't know what the man and his pack were still doing in the area. Hadn't Ludwig said that he wasn't a problem? That he would be leaving t let his wounds heal? Why was he still here?

"I go where I want pup. Now answer my question." The man growled making Lovino cringe and take another step back. He yelped when the Turk grabbed the collar of his shirt, preventing him from escaping.

"I-I don't know! Let me go damn it!" he shouted, trying to break the iron grip.

"Ludwig should know better than to let his dogs wander, perhaps this will teach him a lesson? Perhaps your head will serve as a warning to him on why he shouldn't mess with me…" he mused, eyes calculating as they remained fixed on the squirming and cursing Italian.

"Leave him be Sadiq. He's worth more alive…" the previously sleeping man warned, placing a restraining hand on the Turk's bicep. The touch earned him a growl in response as the man turned on him.

"Back down Heracles. This is my choice."

"No."

"Heracles, I'm warning you. I'm in charge here."

"And I don't care Sadiq. Ludwig still outnumbers us and will hunt us down if we kill him."

"We can take him"

"I don't think so. Now release him."

Neither wolf seemed keen on backing down and Lovino wasn't sure if that was a good thing. On one hand it distracted Sadiq from him but on the other he was still trapped between two arguing werewolves. They still seemed to be acting civil but if Sadiq's glare and Heracles stiff form was anything to go by it wouldn't last. He didn't want to be caught between them when they snapped but no matter how much he struggled he couldn't break the grip on his shirt.

"Both of you enough." A calm voice ordered, making both Sadiq and Heracles pause and glance at the third member of their pack. The dark skinned man appeared surprisingly relaxed despite the obvious aggression between the pair. "I don't want to see you two fighting one another over this, we can discuss this later."

"What do you suggest we do then Gupta? He'll run away if we let him live." Sadiq growled.

"And if we kill him whilst in a stranger's territory Ludwig will hunt us down. Heracles is right; he's worth more to us alive. We can tie him up and keep an eye on him until we decide on what to do."

The Turk didn't seem convinced but sighed and shook his head. "Fine, we'll do it your way…" he murmured as he released the Italian who scampered backwards before freezing at a glare from Sadiq. "Run or change shape and I will not hesitate to kill you pup." He growled before barking an order at Heracles to grab some rope.

The Grecian man rolled his eyes at the order but did as told, throwing the object at the Turk's head. The man caught it with practised ease, as though used to such treatment. Lovino struggled at first when his wrists were grabbed, trying to fight against the grip as he cursed. He yelped though when the grip on his right arm suddenly tightened and an audible crack filled the air. Tears stung his eyes as he went limp, shaking badly as his wrists were bound and the rope tied off around a tree.

As much as he hated to admit it all he wanted was for Antonio to come and save him… he didn't want to stay as Sadiq's prisoner… he was scared of the man after all the stories he'd heard… and what would happen when he realized just how worthless Lovino was as a bargaining tool? What if he grew frustrated with holding him captive? What if he changed his mind and killed him. He didn't want to die… Not like this. Not when he was all alone.

Why had he run? He could have been safe if he'd remained.

Instead he was here, tied up with a broken wrist if the throbbing in his arm was anything to go by. Even if he could escape he wouldn't be able to run. His only chance to outrun them would be as a wolf and with a broken leg he'd be overtaken before he could get a mile. He was completely at Sadiq's mercy and if the stories he'd heard were correct the man was ruthless when it came to getting what he wanted.

His eyes stung as something rolled down his cheek. He wasn't going to get out of this he realised.

_Antonio… Feliciano… I'm sorry…_

**A/N2: anyone expecting that? Yes? No? Maybe?**


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: and now to introduce another of the main players from hair of the dog. And some more angry Spain as well!**

**As per usual (when I remember to add this thing) Hetalia isn't mine.**

_Left by my father with only this scar on my face  
Told by my mother that,  
"No, you were just a mistake"  
I have tasted my own hunger  
Sold my body to survive  
Some have paid to scratch the surface  
But they can't touch what's inside_

We are the children of the night  
We won't go down without a fight  
Our voice is strong, our future's bright  
And thanks to what we learned from you  
We've grown into the children of the night

_Children of the Night- Richard Marx_

Antonio froze, ears pricking up to catch any sound. He'd spent over a day trying to locate the scent trail again and now that he had done so he couldn't help but snarl. Lovino's scent was no longer alone, overlapping it was a trio of scents that he was now all too familiar with after more than a few skirmishes at the southern boundaries of their territory.

Sadiq's pack.

It did nothing to calm him, only making the situation worse. He already knew that as plucky as Lovino was he wasn't a true fighter. The Turk however was one of the fiercest werewolves he knew and he'd encountered Ivan before which was saying something. He was far more cunning than Matthias and Ivan were who preferred face on fighting which made him all the more dangerous. Even Ludwig didn't come close to matching how ruthless the man was.

If Lovino had encountered him as he feared then he would be in trouble. He'd need him.

_Wait there Antonio. We're coming to back you up. Francis and I are already making tracks towards you so don't do anything stupid and unawesome okay? _Gilbert growled as he sensed the Spaniard's indecision. The brunette may have been a good fighter but three against one were odds he had no care to pit him against.

_Oui, the others will also want to join us once they find out but we're closer. _Francis added. When Antonio still had had no luck in finding his runaway mate both of them had been quick to come to his aid whilst Ludwig had continued heading north with the rest of the pack.

Antonio sighed but nodded. He knew that charging in wasn't smart but he could barely resist the urge to do so. That was his mate at risk after all. _Fine, but move quickly. I won't leave him in his clutches for longer than necessary. _He growled.

.o.)O(.o.

Lovino had quickly realised that being Sadiq's hostage was less than a fun position to be in. He hadn't eaten in several hours but the constant growls from his stomach went ignored as he was carted around like baggage. His arm throbbed painfully as it started healing but he was unable to move it. Without it being bound properly it was healing wrong and even the smallest movement was agonising.

Sometimes Gupta or Heracles would give him sympathetic looks when he whimpered or cursed but they did nothing to help him. He doubted that Sadiq would have let them anyway.

He sighed softly, trying to ignore the hunger pains as he kept his injured arm as still as possible. He couldn't fight. He couldn't run. He was completely useless like this…

He just wanted Antonio to come save him.

.o.)O(.o.

Antonio was pacing when he was finally joined by Francis and Gilbert. Soft snarls were spilling from his jaws in frustration and didn't cease even when the white wolf and the slimmer grey one moved to his side. He didn't even notice that the Prussian didn't take point this time like he normally did.

_Let's go kick some Turkish ass. _Gilbert smirked, trying to lighten the mood. They'd yet to hear from Ludwig so it would appear they'd be doing this alone. God only knew that Antonio wouldn't wait for the German to check in on them when such a thing could take hours.

The Spaniard didn't answer, just nodding before following the scent trail at a fast lope. He ignored all other scents, no matter how out of place they were, as he ran, his mind fixated on Lovino. _Don't bother Gil; he won't be up for jokes until Lovino is safe. _Francis mused as he kept pace easily. Gilbert shook his head with a huff, not even breaking stride.

_I don't know how that Italian manages to get him so wound up…_

.o.)O(.o.

Lovino woke from a fitful sleep with a start as a cold hand covered his mouth to prevent him from screaming. The sound that left his mouth was immediately muffled as he struggled, unsure of what was going on.

"Relax. I'm not here to kill you okay?" a quiet voice whispered. The voice made him pause, eyes straining to see in the darkness. The voice didn't belong to any of his three captors and as his gaze darted around wildly he could see all three of them dozing around the fire. It appeared that Heracles had been left on guard duty but had fallen asleep on the job.

His eyes met the stranger's once more, frowning at the red of his irises. At first he thought it was gilbert before realizing that the colouration was wrong. These weren't the bright rubies of the Prussian but a darker hue, more like burgundy. Nor were they set in a pale, colourless face, he was pale but nowhere close to the albino. His hair was darker, a pale brunette shade rather than the silver he'd initially searched for.

He frowned as the man smirked, showing a pair of pointed canines. "If I remove my hand will you remain silent?" he asked.

Lovino nodded after a moment, breathing a sigh of relief when the hand was removed from his face. "Who the hell are you?" he hissed, eyes darted to his captors to ensure they remained sound asleep. Not a single one of them moved.

"Don't worry. They won't wake up for several hours provided we don't make too much noise, I spiked their drinks earlier." The man smirked, moving to break the rope tying the Italian to the tree. "As for who I am… well I'm the one who's saving your ass. The name's Vladimir."

The rope snapped easily with a simple tug from the man, making Lovino stare at him in shock. That rope had been good quality, even had he been at full strength he would have struggled to break it but Vladimir had snapped it like it was a thread. "w-what are you?" he asked nervously, getting to his feet warily.

"Isn't it obvious? Surely someone would have mentioned it before…" Vladimir asked with a frown before shrugging and grinning once more. His fangs glittered in the faint light the fire was giving off. "I'm a vampire."

.o.)O(.o.

"Looking for someone?"

The voice was slightly playful but that didn't stop Antonio from skidding to a stop and whirling around with fangs bared towards the source. His snarl grew in volume as he saw Lovino standing beside the vampire; the Italian wasn't being restrained but held his arm gingerly as though it pained him.

Vladimir just chuckled, hands raised defensively towards the three snarling wolves that advanced towards him. "Relax, I'm just returning him to you." he explained, stepping back as Lovino hesitantly moved towards Antonio. He wouldn't meet the reddish brown wolf's eyes but he still remained close making the Spaniard's heart skip a beat in relief. "Sadiq and his men are currently sleeping under the influence of something extra I put in their drinks in that direction." He said as he jerked his head in the direction indicated.

Gilbert frowned, glancing at Antonio and Francis before sighing and shifting back. It appeared the Spaniard was more concerned with the welfare of his mate which was understandable. "Why would you rescue him for us Vladimir? What is it you want?" he growled softly.

"Too stop having to tiptoe around each other for sharing a territory. I was hoping that doing such a thing would earn me enough favour with Ludwig to allow us to come up with a deal." Vladimir said with a shrug. "Both of our groups are growing and if it continues there won't be enough space for us to share. We've already had a few stand offs with one another and I don't want it to continue. Hopefully by doing this I can convince your brother to give me some land of my own."

"So you risked angering Sadiq to ask mein bruder for a favour?" he scoffed. Even he could see how foolish such a move was. It was considered common place for the werewolves and vampires to stay out of one another's affairs.

"No I did not. Sadiq knows nothing of my involvement in this and he won't know provided we both keep our mouths shut. It will start a full scale war if you choose to speak because my own kind will fight yours the minute you target us. He will blame you and if I'm not wrong that is something you have no problem with. He will come after you and give you the excuse to fight him. That is what you want am I right? Revenge?"

Antonio growled out an affirmative, lightly licking the dark bruising on Lovino's wrist tenderly. He wanted to get revenge for what Lovino had been put through more than anything.

"As I suspected." Vladimir smiled before turning back to Gilbert. "So where should I meet you in order to discuss this with Ludwig? I'd rather make myself scarce before Sadiq wakes up and I have a new fledgling to get back to, I don't trust Deon with him…" he admitted.

Gilbert sighed softly, looking between Antonio and Lovino and the vampire before nodding. "Fine. How about we meet just outside of the next town. We should have sorted things out with Sadiq by then…" he grumbled.

"Perfect! I'll be there. Though you may want to get that Italian of yours out of the line of fire. He'll be a sitting duck with that arm of his." Vladimir grinned, tipping his hat before striding off into the shadows of the trees.

Gilbert frowned at the advice before glancing at Lovino. He still seemed a bit shell-shocked and the vampire had been correct about his arm making him vulnerable. He wouldn't be able to fight like that.

"C'mon, we should put as much distance between us and them while we can." He ordered before glancing at Francis. "Francis, any word from Ludwig?" he asked, breathing a sigh of relief when the grey wolf nodded. He'd been sure that there would have still been silence from his brother's end. "Good, I take it he's heading towards us?"

He smiled as the wolf nodded again. He could taste a fight on the breeze.

**A/N2: Did none of you ever wonder why Ludwig would willingly give Vladimir territory when he and all other werewolves clung to their territories like it would vanish if they turned their backs on it?**

**Review reply:**

**Pearlbunny: don't worry, he's alive! Shell shocked yes, injured yes but alive! Glad you liked it and thanks for the review!**


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: that annoying moment when you have to go back and change the time period because you misjudged it intentionally… damn plot holes. **

_What can you take from me  
That which you cannot buy  
Exhilaration  
Laughing and turning away  
What will you take from me  
Now that you are inside  
Intoxication  
Now are you feeling_

Enough, to vilify what I love  
To sanctify all I hate  
Endowed with the need  
To carry over the life I lead  
Intoxicating

_Intoxication- Disturbed_

"Don't touch it! Are you such an idiot that you can't understand that?" Lovino snapped, flinching away with a wince at the light touch on his arm. Feliciano seemed hurt by his harsh words but nodded regardless.

"Mi dispiace fratello… I just wanted to check on it…" He explained softly.

"It hurts. There, you've checked on it now leave me alone!" the older Italian snarled, keeping his arm pressed close to his chest to keep it out of reach. Feliciano couldn't blame him for being nervous of having his arm touched. The bone had had to be re-broken before being set properly and although it was now bound in such a way to enable it to heal properly the initial break had startled the Italian badly.

It had had a similar effect on Antonio as well and Ludwig had only just avoided being bitten by the Spaniard when Lovino had shouted in a mix of pain and shock as his arm was broken for a second time. He may have understood why it had to be done but that didn't mean he was okay with it, regardless of what the outcome of re-breaking the bone would be Antonio didn't like the idea of Lovino being in pain.

It also gave the Italian yet another reason to dislike Ludwig so there was more than a little tension within the pack.

Lovino sighed softly as he realized that Feliciano appeared to have given up on examining his arm. His brother was easily distracted, a trait that he was grateful for at the moment and appeared to have found something more interesting in the cart as he was digging through the boxes eagerly. Normally the elder of the two would be scolding him but right now he couldn't bring up the desire to, he just wanted to rest and be left in peace.

He was glad that it was just him and Feliciano there, the others having taken off once they were sure that his arm would be alright. It was relatively quiet and he didn't have to worry about everyone bugging him every few minutes. Sure the spoiling would be nice but they'd all gone off to get revenge so he'd enjoy the quiet before that was gone. All of them had a bone to pick with Sadiq and Lovino would have felt sorry for the Turk considering the numbers he was going to be up against. But Sadiq had broken his arm so quite frankly he hoped he got his jaw broken or worse.

He chuckled under his breath as he tried to get comfy, being careful not to hurt himself further. The bastard deserved everything he got in his opinion and he'd enjoy hearing about it when the others got back. For now though he just wanted to sleep.

Of course that desire was short lived when his nose twitched at a tantalizing scent that was suddenly waved under his nose. He blinked, glaring up at his brother with a scowl. "I was trying to sleep stupid…" He grumbled before glancing at what Feliciano had in his hands. "Are those…" he asked suspiciously, his stomach growling at the thought.

"Ve? Tomatoes? Si!" Feliciano grinned, offering the fruit to his brother who snatched one eagerly. All ideas of sleeping left Lovino's mind as he tore into the red fruit, it was sun dried and nowhere near as nice as they could be fresh but it was still heaven to him. They hadn't been able to afford tomatoes for a while now so even the sun dried variety was something.

"Where'd you find them?"

"On the cart. Antonio likes them so he always keeps a handful on him."

"At least the bastard's good for something then…"

"Ve? You don't mean that do you fratello? He loves you!"

"Yeah? Well I don't love him!"

"You're lying Lovi~"

"Am not! I hate his annoying ass!"

"So you have noticed how nice his ass is?"

"WHAT!?"

"Eh? You like my ass Lovi?"

Lovino whirled around red faced, wincing as his arm twinged but not really noticing as he spluttered, lost for words. Eventually he just resorted to cursing and shouting denials loudly and trying to ignore the laughter around him.

"Haha, Lovi, you look like a tomato!" Antonio grinned as he sat down beside the embarrassed Italian. He gently took his arm, ignoring the curses as he apologised softly and quickly checked it. "At least your arm is looking better!"

"Yeah, more than you can say… what did you do? Run into a thorn bush?" Lovino grumbled. Antonio's face was covered in shallow gashes but he didn't seem to care, shrugging them off nonchalantly.

"I taught Sadiq a lesson that's all." He grinned, making the Italian shiver. There was something unnerving about the smile, something almost maniacal that was never apparent in his usual grins. "I showed him not to mess with what's mine."

"I'm not yours." Lovino grumbled. "But you better have…"

"Of course! He'll be wearing that mask for centuries now if he wants to hide his scars." Antonio smirked. "It probably pisses him off since his scars were only just starting to fade to the extent that he could forgo that stupid thing if he wanted to."

"You wounded him that badly?"

"I all but blinded him, I would have killed him but he bolted before I had the chance. He won't bother us again."

"Good…" Lovino mumbled.

"Hey Lovi? Why did you run away?" Antonio asked softly, his voice slightly hurt by the thought.

The Italian squirmed slightly, not keen to answer the question as he glanced away. "I don't want to talk about it. I just want to go to sleep okay bastard?"

The Spaniard frowned but nodded, seeming slightly put out by the lack of answer. "Oh, sure…" he mumbled. "I suppose you want me to leave right?" he guessed as he prepared to get up. The last thing he was expecting was for Lovino to shrug, still not looking his way.

"You can stay if you want…"

.o.)O(.o.

"How is he?"

Antonio jumped slightly at the voice making Lovino stir slightly before settling once more. The Italian had curled up against him, his hand lightly clutching his shirt as he slept. His face was relaxed in sleep, no scowl present as he used Antonio's lap as a pillow. It was an uncomfortable position for the Spaniard but he didn't mind.

"Sleeping. It's been stressful for him…"

Roderich nodded as he glanced at the Italian. "And what about you? You didn't hold back earlier, you showed no caution at all."

"I'm fine."

"Really? None of us got injured except for you. You just charged in there blindly."

"I promise, I'm fine Roderich."

"He doesn't need a crazed wolf for a mate Antonio. There are enough of those in the world without you joining them. You're not a killer…"

The Spaniard laughed quietly at the suggestion, being careful not to wake Lovino. "Not a killer? You're blinded Roderich. We're all killers."

"No we're not. We're not monsters, isn't that what you used to say? You would have killed Sadiq out there."

"He would have deserved it."

"You would have been just as bad as him had you done so. He needs you Antonio, not another Sadiq."

Antonio blinked at the accusation, frowning as he stared at the Austrian. "What do you mean?"

"I mean get that crazed look out of your eyes. Even Francis is worried. He says he hasn't seen that look on your face since you hitched a ride on a Viking long ship and disappeared for several years to get away from Arthur and ended up in the new world. You came back with the same look in your eyes apparently."

The Spaniard's frown deepened at the thought. He hadn't thought it was as bad as that…

"I saw an entire pack destroyed there. A vampire coven as well. Was I meant to come back from that alright? My mate was stolen from me and tormented by a man who escaped me. Am I meant to be alright after that as well?"

"Perhaps not but you can get your act together. If not for yourself then for him. God knows why but you seem to care for him and he doesn't need to see you like this."

Antonio sighed softly; he knew that the Austrian was right even if he didn't want to admit it. He glanced down at the sleeping Italian and smiled, not noticing when Roderich left him alone as he brushed a few strands of hair out of his face. Lovino did deserve better…

**A/N2: and plot hole fixed. Consider this story set in the fifteenth century now which also helps with the whole "but, isn't this story and breaking gleipnir happening in the same sort of period?" issue that I've been having.**

**Look forward to more angsty Lovino as he continues to be torn between his religion and his emotions. I'll also go into more of what happened in the fight between the two packs as well.**


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: theoretically I should be able to get these things out fairly quickly now that I have a week off. Theoretically. I'm currently beading a sculpture I have to paint and working on a few essays along with getting caught up in Primeval which I finally have a chance to watch properly. So no promises… I'll try to get the next chapter for either breaking gleipnir or let sleeping dogs lie done before I go out tonight okay?**

**Edit: Sorry about the mix ups with Roderich and Elizaveta's back story! I forgot I wrote this bit but it's now fixed to flow properly.**

**Hetalia isn't mine.**

_Greatest thrill_

_Not to kill_

_But to have the prize of the night_

_Hypocrite_

_Wannabe friend_

_13__th__ disciple who betrayed me for nothing!_

_Last dance, first kiss_

_Your touch, my bliss_

_Beauty always comes with dark thoughts_

_I wish I had an angel_

_For one moment of love_

_I wish I had your angel_

_Your Virgin Mary undone_

_I'm in love with my lust_

_Burning angel wings to dust_

_I wish I had your angel tonight_

_I wish I had an angel - Nightwish_

_Snarls. That was all he could hear, nothing but various snarls. Most he recognised easily but others were strange to him. A pair of strangers bolted from the fray, realising they were outnumbered. One paused, turning to look anxiously at the remaining stranger and snapping at one of his pack mates as he tried to get back._

_He didn't care though, his eyes fixed on the tawny wolf in front of him as he bared his teeth. Someone whined, a question forming in his mind but he just growled in response. He was his and he wouldn't share his revenge with anyone._

_The wolf in front of him growled, eyes not leaving his own emerald gaze even as the others backed away. The tawny wolf's snarls were the only thing he focused on, hackles raised as he stalked forward._

_A savage bark split the air as the other wolf charged forward, not waiting to be attacked but drawing the first blood._

"Hey, wake up!"

_He yelped but lunged forward himself, claws scrabbling for purchase on the ground as their chests collided. Teeth flashed as both wolves snarled, clawing and biting at one another. The tawny wolf was larger but he didn't care, the iron tang of blood on his tongue blinding him to everything but unrestrained anger. What were a few more scars? He didn't care as long as he left his share of scars in return._

"Wake up you bastard!"

_The tawny wolf yelped, pulling backwards as his fangs clicked shut across his face and tore through flesh effortlessly. He'd come close to blinding him with the bite and as it was the blood welling up from the torn skin, muscle and fur was doing just that. It may not have been permanent but it still gave him the advantage._

_His fangs flashed once more, grazing flesh but not sinking in as the breath was forced from his lungs by a grey wolf bowling into him. The stranger snapped once before darting away, the tawny wolf limping away beside him to where the third wolf waited and fended off the attacks of his pack mates._

"I said wake up damn it!"

Antonio yelped as a punch connected with his stomach, successfully rousing him. He winced as he rubbed the tender flesh, gazing at a rather flustered Lovino who was pinned beneath him. The Italian was scowling and looking prepared to punch him again. "I'm up! I'm up!"

"Then get the hell off of me! You're crushing me damn it!" he spat, breathing a sigh of relief when the Spaniard moved and allowed him to get up. "What the hell is wrong with you? One minute I'm sleeping peacefully and the next I have your fat ass hugging me and crushing me! And your hair was tickling my nose asshole, why the hell don't you cut it? You look like a girl!"

Antonio chuckled sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head to find that the leather cord he usually used to keep it tied back had come loose during the night. "Hahaha… sorry Lovi…" he mumbled. "I was dreaming."

"Yeah, well it's annoying."

He just shrugged in response to the Italian's scowl before lightly touching his arm. "How does your arm feel?" he asked, breathing a sigh of relief when Lovino didn't wince. The brunette barely reacted to the touch, instead clenching and unclenching his fist and tentatively stretching and moving his wrist.

"Alright considering you spent the entire night crushing It." he growled before pulling his arm free. "Now c'mon. The others have made breakfast and I don't want to miss it and go hungry because of your lazy ass."

.o.)O(.o.

"Ludwig, I'm glad you could make it."

"Vladimir. You didn't have to bring so many with you." The German hinted as he glanced at the group of people standing around the Romanian. There wasn't much in the way of order in how they were positioned but several of them were baring their fangs nervously. The werewolves also seemed anxious, Lovino glancing at them distrustfully as his brother tried to hide from their gaze.

"I apologise, we were in the process of moving on when I came across your lost pup. I didn't mean to unnerve you." Vladimir chuckled. One of the other's rolled his eyes at how at ease the Romanian was, muttering something under his breath before he was silenced with a single raised eyebrow from his maker.

"Why did you rescue him? Such a thing isn't in your nature." Ludwig said softly, ignoring the accusation along with the group behind the dark blond. Elizaveta didn't seem as pleased with this idea as he did and glared at the Romanian venomously.

"It's simple Ludwig. Both of our groups have been growing in number for the past few centuries and even with such a large territory we will come into conflict eventually. You're territory stretches from the Atlantic to the Eurasian border whilst our own is deemed non-existent since it overlaps yours." The vampire explained.

"We want our own territory dog." An older appearing man growled. His words were met with animalistic snarls from the werewolves as Vladimir sighed and rubbed his temples. Even the vampires seemed on edge.

"Deon, what have I said about interrupting me and insulting potential allies?" he growled, his smile slightly strained.

"I'm just putting it out there. You were taking too long to get to the point."

The Romanian sighed, turning his back on the other to face Ludwig once more. "As my dear Deon uncouthly put… we want some land to call our own. We're not asking for much, just a single country that will be undisputedly ours. It will help prevent future conflicts between us and deny it as much as you want but you do owe us."

Ludwig scowled slightly as he thought it over, glancing at Gilbert who shrugged. "We do owe him…" the Prussian conceded. Antonio nodded in agreement, looking just as frustrated by the fact as the others did.

"We could have gotten him out without his help." Elizaveta growled. She was still glaring at Vladimir who was doing his best to ignore her while Roderich tried to get her to calm down.

"Perhaps, but what happened happened and we do owe him…" Ludwig sighed, glancing at Elizaveta. "I know how you feel about him Elizaveta but we have no choice… Consider Romania yours; we'll alert the other packs."

The Romanian grinned triumphantly, making the Hungarian growl in response. "I'm glad we could come to an agreement. Oh and I should just warn you as well. The witch hunts are getting worse. We lost two of our own in Switzerland so if I were you I'd be careful. It's not just witches they're after now and it would be awful if there were losses within your own pack again."

.o.)O(.o.

"Hey bastard?" Lovino asked softly, jabbing the Spaniard's side to get his attention. They were alone now, the others having scattered to gather the necessities to break camp. They were going to discuss how to get the message about the changes to their territory to the other packs later but for now the Italian had other concerns.

"Si Lovi?" Antonio blinked, turning to gaze at the sheepish Italian. He seemed hesitant to speak and sighed, shaking his head.

"Ugh never mind… I meant to… screw it." he grumbled before glancing up again, hazel eyes meeting emerald as he thought up something else to say. "Why does Elizaveta hate Vladimir so much?"

"Because Vladimir and Roderich got into a scrap years ago when we were in the same town as he was. He was hunting as we were and Roderich lost it for a moment when we crossed paths and they got into a fight over it when it caused us to lose our prey. It was instinctual for Roderich since he didn't have the same amount of experience we did." Antonio shrugged, frowning slightly even if he didn't look as angry as Elizaveta had. "Vladimir is far older than Roderich, he'd been turned perhaps a year or two before that incident and didn't stand a chance."

"How's he still alive then?"

"You really think Elizaveta would stand around and allow a vampire to fatally wound her mate? She got between them and Roderich managed to snap out of it thankfully. Vladimir had just been defending himself and backed off immediately when Roderich stopped but that doesn't mean Liz forgives him. She can hold a grudge… Roderich knows he was in the wrong so he holds nothing against Vladimir especially since he could have killed him had he wanted to but he spared him, possibly more to avoid conflict with us than in Roderich's interests but still." He chuckled.

"Oh… I guess that's understandable…"

"Si… so what was it you really wanted to say?"

Lovino immediately went red, spluttering incoherently. "W-why the hell do you- I didn't have- I didn't mean…" Antonio laughed softly at how flustered was, making the Italian glare at him venomously. "Shut up!"

"Only when you tell me what's up."

Lovino growled under his breath, glancing away with a curse. "You know how Vladimir said that the witch hunts are getting worse?"

"Si?"

"Just, don't get killed okay?"

Antonio blinked before grinning broadly and enveloping the Italian in a back breaking hug despite his protests. "Aw! Lovi! You do care!"

"S-shut up! And let go of me!"

"No~"

Lovino growled, pulling on the Spaniard's hair to make him let go of him. "If you cut your hair to a reasonable length maybe that wouldn't happen!" he smirked as Antonio winced before looking thoughtful.

His eyes widened as the Spaniard grabbed a knife and in a single slash cut the pony tail his hair was bound into off. "Better? Can I hug you now?"

"You idiot! That wasn't what I meant!"

.o.)O(.o.

Lovino didn't know what to think anymore. His mind still insisted on pushing Antonio away, still insisted that this was wrong. But he was still curled up in his arms and lacking the desire to move. Had someone commented on it he was sure that he would have been quick to deny everything but without that push he was content to stay as he was.

He wondered if this was some sort of test that God had decided to put him through. To see whether or not he would take the chance to redeem himself by denying the final sin he'd yet to commit.

He sighed softly, glancing up at the sleeping Spaniard. His shorter hair had been neatened by Lovino's not entirely steady hands earlier when it became clear that hacking off a pony tail didn't do much for creating a neat and in no way ridiculous hair style. He remembered how his hands had shook when he touched him in an attempt to get an idea of how to fix his self-done haircut. He remembered how those same hands had occasionally lingered as he'd blushed. How even now those hands rested lightly on Antonio's chest as the Spaniard's arms remained wrapped around him.

If this was a test apparently he was failing.

**A/N2: yep, Elizaveta has more than a few issues with Vladimir. And Antonio's logic is skewed. The witch hunts became more common in the early 1500's and reached their peak between 1560 and 1620 I think it was. While witches were the common target, vampires and werewolves were also hunted.**


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N: I'm typing this one handed since I'm holding a hot cloth against my ear to soothe an ear infection that makes me feel like my head will split in two since I can't afford a doctor so home remedies are all I've got. It would be more effective with lemon juice/essential oil but I'm broke as hell due to the necessity of buying art supplies for my course so I can't even afford that. Story of my life…**

_Run, wolf warrior, to ends eternal __  
__Through the wreckage of the death of the day __  
__Scent of silence under starlight spinning __  
__A captured beast within a human skin ___

_Are you searching for long lost landscapes __  
__Lit by flowers and crystal cascades? __  
__Where the lamb lies down with the lion __  
__Where the wolf is one with the wild ___

_Run, wolf warrior, through kingdoms' chaos __  
__Senseless cities and ghost towns towering __  
__Howl, O hunter, though few know you're crying __  
__Face upturned into that midnight moon_

_Run, wolf warrior, run – Wolf's Rain_

Feliciano didn't understand why Lovino was so hesitant about admitting his feelings for Antonio were more than just friendship. He knew that many people would scoff at the idea that his brother would even refer to the relationship as friendship but he knew better. When the other Italian didn't like someone he'd go out of his way to avoid them or even outright attack them (before running away when he realised what he'd done, Lovino may have been braver than his brother but they were both cowards at heart). His feelings towards Ludwig for instance were definitely bordering on the hate side of his emotional range.

His reactions towards Antonio though were completely different. He was open with him even if he covered that up with insults and curses, he allowed him to get close to him. Lovino wasn't the sort of person to readily do something like that; he only allowed a select few to get that close. Not even friends could hope to achieve that amount of trust. That sort of relationship was reserved for those the Italian considered family or more.

Feliciano may have been scatter brained and more than a little ditzy but even he could see that the bond Lovino had with Antonio was extremely different to the one he shared with his brother. There was none of that conflicted guilt or hesitant but lingering touches when he was with the Italian. The bond was clearly not based on familial love but something more, something that Lovino was fighting with every ounce of his being.

That fight appeared to be going badly though, not that Feliciano was surprised. If what Lovino was feeling was anything like what he felt then there'd be no joy to come from denying it. Whenever the Italian looked at Ludwig his heart would skip a beat, warmth would fill him completely and enwrap him within a cocoon of promised safety and silent adoration. That feeling was like a drug to him, impossibly intoxicating and impossible to deny. He was impressed that Lovino could have held out for so long as it was.

Though he supposed that he could feel it in a different way… Ludwig after all wasn't as accepting of the fact as Feliciano was. Sure he'd show it on his face and in his body language that he felt something but he seemed hesitant to act on it, awkward even. Though Feliciano suspected that was more to do with the German's militant attitude than anything like Lovino's stubbornness. He seemed completely lost in anything that couldn't be planned and plotted with utmost precision.

Not that Feliciano minded, mind you. It gave him something to work on while Lovino continued to fight instinct based on something as silly as words in a book. It wasn't that he wasn't religious, far from it in fact, he just preferred to have the view that God was a caring and kind individual who didn't care about who you loved provided it was love instead of Lovino's more strict view. How could something like love ever be wrong? How could what they were be wrong? God had made them like this and it wasn't like they were murderers right? They didn't actively seek to kill or enjoy it.

He only hoped that Lovino would realise that, it wasn't something he could show him after all. He could however work on Ludwig.

.o.)O(.o.

"You know you can look at me right?" Antonio asked with a raised eyebrow as he stared at Lovino who was looking anywhere but at the Spaniard. A light blush graced his cheeks despite his scowl and his hands were refusing to be still as he plucked at the grass he sat upon.

"Not until you put a god damn shirt on." He spat, staring at the nearest tree as though it was the most interesting thing in the world. He was trying to tell himself that it was, doing anything to keep his eyes from wandering over to the sinfully tempting sight the Spaniard presented. He was barely keeping his head as it was and refused to have to deal with losing it over something as simple as an unclothed chest.

"We've only got an hour or so till the moon rises Lovi, I don't want to have to worry about getting undressed at the last moment…" the Spaniard shrugged as Lovino grit his teeth. Despite his intense glare at the tree he could see Antonio's muscles tensing and rolling beneath tanned skin out of the corner of his eyes. "I'm not the only one anyway; you're the only one still completely clothed."

"That's because I have some fucking dignity. And the others don't matter! You're the one who bothers me!" that wasn't completely true. When he'd caught a glimpse of Elizaveta he'd gone more red than anyone could have thought possible despite the fact that her near nudity barely had an effect on the others. But that was understandable, the Hungarian was female after all, the other men, although their own states of undress were awkward, were at least bearable in comparison.

Except for Antonio. His state of undress was anything but bearable. Even the vague glimpses Lovino caught from the corners of his eyes was enough to put less than pure thoughts in his head ranging from mild appreciation to far more lewd ideas that he didn't even think his mind had been capable of. He gave a low frustrated growl at the thought, squeezing his eyes closed as he focussed on anything but those thoughts.

The birds chirping, feathers rustling mid-flight. Elizaveta shouting something inaudible at Gilbert and the dull thunk of what could only be an iron cast skillet (the Hungarian's preferred weapon for dealing with the Prussian). Feliciano's laughter and ceaseless chatter. They were all safe things for him to focus on and he clung to them as though he were drowning in an attempt to distract himself.

He was so distracted that the light touch to his shoulder made him shout, almost falling backwards as his eyes shot open. He didn't know why he was so surprised to see those concerned emerald eyes set within a tanned face staring at him but he couldn't help the rush of anger that filled him at the sight. "God damn it! Get out of my face!"

"Lovi? What's wrong?"

"You, that's what's wrong! Am I not damned enough without you coming along and tempting me further? I'm a killer, a monster! I've stolen, lusted and god knows what else! But I've never had feelings for a man before, am I not allowed one sin that I don't succumb to? Why do you insist on damning me further, god damn it?" Lovino snarled, hands quickly moving to try and shove the Spaniard away. His attempts were futile though; serving to do nothing more but force him to acknowledge the man's close proximity.

Antonio frowned, barely noticing Lovino's efforts as his gaze fixed unerringly on the Italian's confused and angry hazel eyes. "You honestly think you're damned?" he asked, shock entering his voice at the concept. "Why?"

"Read the god damn bible. 'Thou shalt not kill', 'Thou shalt not take the lord's name in vain', 'Thou shalt not covet', 'Thou shalt not lie with mankind as with womankind', 'beware the false prophet, he who outwardly wears the clothing of a sheep but is inwardly a ravening wolf', do I need to go on? Everything that that we are is sinful."

"We're all God's creatures Lovi, what we are is what he made us. You seem to be forgetting everything positive in what you've read… 'and the wolf shall lie with the lamb', 'above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins', 'and God made the beast of the earth after his kind, and cattle after their kind, and everything that creeps upon the earth after his kind; and God saw that it was good'." He sighed shaking his head as he gazed at the Italian. "We're not damned Lovi. What we are isn't completely evil or completely good, it just is. Not everything is black and white…"

Lovino's eyes were darting wildly, part of him wishing that he could believe what the other was saying even as his thoughts raced. Antonio was too close, far too close. He could make out every single one of the dark lashes that framed his eyes, hear each puff of air that left his lungs and his scent was heavy in the air. That smell of tomatoes, freshly tilled and sun baked soil, leather and hide and things that couldn't be described… that scent that belonged purely to Antonio that he could all but taste on his tongue… his thoughts continued to run rampant in his mind, logic being over-ridden by desire, doubt being cast out instinct.

By the time his mind caught up to what was happening he was already leaning forward, lips pressed desperately to the other male's as though seeking comfort and reassurance through base desire. He hated it, he hated the way his heart was pounding in his chest and how his mind screamed at him that it was wrong. Even so it took him several long moments to pull away, several long moments in which Antonio got over his shock and kissed him back.

That movement against his lips was all it took to make him freeze, jerking back with a horrified look. His face was flushed as he bit his lip, eyes hardening angrily before he head butted the man with a curse. The scent of blood teased his senses as the Spaniards lip split, red droplets beading along the cut as he gasped in surprise. "You bastard!"

Antonio didn't have a chance to comment as the Italian snarled, shoving his unresisting form away as he stood. He was still cursing violently, looking prepared to pull his hair out by the roots as conflicting emotions ran across his face. He stalked away with his face set in his usual scowl, only his eyes and darkened cheeks showing how torn up he was.

.o.)O(.o.

Lovino snarled at the larger wolf angrily, lips pulling back over pearly canines as the reddish brown wolf came too close to him. His ears were pinned back against his skull but Antonio didn't seem to care as he padded closer. The larger wolf's fur brushed against his as the Spaniard licked the back of his neck.

_Lovi, I don't understand… _

_You didn't listen to me! I told you how I felt and what I was scared of but you still took advantage of my lapse of judgement damn it!_ Lovino growled as he snapped at the other's muzzle in frustration. His teeth grazed the wolf's skin but Antonio didn't react to it, continuing to groom the Italian's fur soothingly.

_I'm sorry Lovi, please don't be mad?_ He pleaded with a small whine, his tail was wagging apologetically as he pulled back to gaze at the other. _I couldn't help it… you were so desperate and confused, and you looked like you wanted it! _ He offered.

Lovino just snarled in response shaking his head in frustration. _Just shut up. This is the last time my brother and I will be running together for a while and I want to actually enjoy his questionable company before I'm stuck with only you and those French and Prussian bastards you call friends… _he snapped. _And I don't want to have this god damn conversation while everyone can listen in on us!_

Antonio immediately ducked his muzzle sheepishly. He hadn't even considered that in his attempt to calm Lovino down and earn his forgiveness (regardless of the fact that he'd done nothing wrong in his opinion). They'd decided just that morning that morning after days of discussion that the best way to alert everyone to the change in circumstances was to meet up with the various packs. Come morning the Spaniard would be travelling east with Lovino, Francis and Gilbert to try and find Sadiq's and then Yao's pack. To save time Ludwig would be moving west to find Arthur with Elizaveta, Roderich and Feliciano. The Prussian had been hesitant about leaving his brother at first but the fact that the Asian pack was larger than the British one had swayed him. They were to meet up again near Denmark before going after Ivan and then Matthias together.

He knew that Lovino also hated the idea of leaving his brother in Ludwig's care but he refused to travel with the German and Feliciano had no desire to travel without him. In the end it was only through the promise that the younger twin change shape and communicate with the elder at least once a day that he'd conceded. Though he had promised to castrate Ludwig should Feliciano come back in any less than the condition he left in (purity included, stressed actually).

He sighed, contemplating taking after the Italian as he broke into a trot to join the lighter red coloured wolf and snarling at the large grey beside him before the pair both took off. He could hear Lovino shouting insults and threats at Ludwig who just sighed and shook his head before turning to the pale wolf beside him who was laughing. In the end he decided that both Italians would probably prefer to be alone and it wasn't like he couldn't keep an eye on Lovino after all. As long as they were both in this form he'd be able to hear every little thing he said.

Francis glanced at him questioningly before bumping his shoulder with his nose. _Relax mon ami, he'll come around. _He chuckled as a curse was directed in his direction and Feliciano attempted to scold his brother.

_Si, I know… I'm just impatient…_

_Like always then._

_Si, should we run with Roderich and Elizaveta for a bit? It'll be a while before we see them again. _Antonio offered as Francis rolled his eyes.

_Oui, it's probably a good idea. Roderich will kill you if you leave without doing so._

_You can't honestly believe that can you? _Roderich growled beseechingly as he sighed. He'd paused, Elizaveta chuckling at his flank to allow the two other wolves to catch up. _I like to think I have a better hold on my emotions than that._

**A/N2: well, my ear still hurts a bit but the hot cloth seems to have done the trick. Thank god…**

**And thus we have the explanation for all the rumours that Matthias was picking up on! He just didn't have the full story… Just so you know this isn't the actual split between the Eastern Europe and the Mediterranean packs, just them trying to get things done in reasonable amount of time.**

**And the two differing views of Christianity were fun to write I have to admit, I may not be Christian but I still respect the religion regardless.**


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N: Long overdue but here's the next chapter… Sorry, university is a bitch so enjoy some angst!**

_There's a red fox torn by a huntsman's pack_

_There's a black wing gull with a broken back_

_There's a little black spot on the sun today_

_It's the same old thing as yesterday_

_I've stood here before, inside the pouring rain_

_With the world turning circles, running round my brain_

_I'm always hoping that you'd end this reign_

_But it's my destiny to be the king of pain_

_King of pain- Alanis Morissette_

"But they were just here! How the fuck did they get away so quickly?" Lovino complained, glaring out at the unfortunately empty landscape. They'd retraced there steps to where Antonio and the others had last faced off with Sadiq but other than a few almost week old bloodstains and scents there was no sign of him or his pack. It appeared that the Turk had decided to back off for a bit, either merely to lick his wounds or to plan further. It probably would have been for the best and much appreciated by the Italian who was now understandably wary of the man had they not had a message to give him. In fact, his absence was only serving to piss the brunette off.

Gilbert however didn't seem so concerned, out of all of them he seemed the most cheerful despite their situation. He actually seemed impressed with it. "Kesesese, guess we really showed them!" He gloated, his laugh making Lovino grit his teeth in frustration. He didn't know how Francis and Antonio could be so nonchalant about it even if they'd known him for so long.

"That's not a good thing dumbass!" He snapped, whirling around to glare at the Prussian. It only served to make the albino look even more amused. "Now shut up before I fucking castrate you!"

"Oh lighten up Lovino! It's not the end of the world you know, we'll catch up eventually!" He grinned before glancing at Francis and Antonio. The pair was watching the exchange in amusement and Lovino scowled when he saw the glint of a coin passing between the two. If they were making bets about him it wasn't just going to be Gilbert being castrated.

The Frenchman chuckled at the scowl, not fazed at all as he winked at Gilbert, giving him a thumb's up. Antonio however seemed to read Lovino's frustration a little better and grinned sheepishly, trotting over to him before the man could start shouting. "Haha… Sorry Lovi…" He apologised, wrapping an arm around his shoulder.

Lovino rolled his eyes, shoving his arm away with a curse. "I don't want to hear it!" He snapped, stalking off. Maybe he was over-reacting, after all nothing too bad had happened yet but he didn't care. He was being forced to follow after two people he hated and one he wished he could hate to chase after a man who'd broken his god-damn wrist so screw anyone who called him a drama queen.

Francis sighed as he looked at the swiftly disappearing Italian and the confused Spaniard, shaking his head and patting him on the back. "Go after him Antonio, Gilbert and I will go on ahead." He offered, pushing his blond hair behind his ear as the Prussian nodded.

"Ja, go find out what his problem is. We'll be fine!" The albino grinned, punching his shoulder good naturedly. Antonio nodded, smiling broadly as he darted off through the bushes and trees.

Francis chuckled softly, looking at the other with a raised eyebrow. "I'll bet you ten florins that he manages to calm him down?" He asked with a smile. Gilbert laughed, holding his hand out to seal the deal. Had Ludwig been there he would have frowned upon their gambling but after so many years there wasn't much better to do with their time besides drink and gamble.

"Done! Lovino's going to tear him a new one I'm telling you!" He bet before looking slightly more serious. As playful as he was it didn't change the fact that he was in charge of their little group. "We should probably get a move on though… the quicker we find out where Sadiq got to the better." He mused, shaking his head.

The blond nodded, also growing slightly more serious as he remembered their purpose. The Turk was hardly easy prey but that didn't mean that the hunt wasn't thrilling in its own right. The danger of hunting him down, even if it was just to pass on a message only increased the adrenaline even as they became more focussed.

The hunt was on.

.o.)O(.o.

"Lovi! Please wait up!" Antonio pleaded, breathing a sigh of relief when the Italian stopped, whirling on his heels with a glare. With the mood the man seemed to be in anything like that had to an advantage right?

"Would you just cut it out? Stop fucking following me alright?"

"Is this still about the kiss?" The Spaniard asked, raising an eyebrow. He'd have thought that man would have gotten over that incident already, it had been a few days ago after all. At the mention of it Lovino's face grew darker though and Antonio chuckled sheepishly, raising his hands defensively. "Sorry Lovi, I did apologise for that…" He pointed out. He had after all, not long after they'd set off when the Italian had still refused to speak to him.

"You think that's the only thing bugging me you bastard?" Lovino growled, his eyes narrowed. "Yes, you kissed me but that's not all! Everything about you is bugging me! You won't leave me alone! You insist on trying to make me love you! You're an annoying idiotic bastard and I fucking hate you!" He snapped.

He wasn't expecting the emotions that flashed across Antonio's face. The hurt, confusion and even anger that were clearly visible even had the surprising effect of making him feel awful. "…D-damn it… I didn't mean that…" He admitted, voice catching slightly.

The Spaniard just shook his head, his eyes still showing how hurt he felt. "No Lovino, if that's how you feel so be it. Sorry for trying to be nice to you." He forced out. Lovino didn't want to admit it but his hard tone scared him.

"A-Antonio…"

"Don't say it. Let's just get back to the others." He growled, turning away from him. He didn't speak as bone shifted beneath his skin, refusing to look at the conflicted Italian. He'd heard enough.

.o.)O(.o.

To say he felt like shit would be an understatement. He felt worse than shit. Why had he gone and said that? He had no excuse to do so and now Antonio was refusing to speak to him or the others. Francis and Gilbert seemed confused by the way the pair was acting, their eyes darting between the two as they ran but otherwise leaving them be. It was probably the smartest thing to do seeing as Antonio was growling under his breath, snapping at the others if they got too close.

In comparison Lovino seemed far less threatening, the wolf keeping his eyes down and trying to look as small as possible. He looked like even a rabbit could defeat him. That didn't mean he spoke about what had occurred though, remaining determinedly silent at the questioning gazes cast in his direction by the white wolf running near him.

He couldn't believe how badly he'd screwed up…

.o.)O(.o.

"Would you lot quit hounding us?" Sadiq snapped, his body tensed as he stared at the quartet of wolves before him. He wasn't the only one looking wary, Heracles and Gupta both staring aggressively and looking to the Turk for guidance. "We were leaving already!" He growled.

Gilbert rolled his ruby eyes, taking a moment to shift back after a quick command to the others to stay as they were. Like this it was obvious that he and Ludwig were brothers, without the younger man's presence the Prussian's dominant attitude was obvious. Obvious enough that even Antonio in his bad mood didn't challenge him. "Ja, ja, we know! As much as I'd love to kick your butt again we're here on other business." He reassured, his tone leaving no space for argument. It was strange to see him so serious.

Sadiq raised an eyebrow, the mask on his face shifting slightly the only evidence of it. The shift allowed Lovino the chance to see a fraction of the jagged lines crossing his face, the scars left behind by Antonio's fangs in order to avenge him. Once more guilt ran through him, the Spaniard had risked his life to defend him and get revenge for his mistreatment and what had he done to say thanks? Gotten snappy and insulted him, wounding him just because he was frustrated.

Yes, that was a great way to show one's appreciation…

"Is that so? Spill it, why did you come running after us then?" The Turk barked. He looked rather calm despite the situation, only the tenseness of his limbs relaying his wariness.

Gilbert smirked, noting the tensed muscles before speaking. "My brother requests a meeting. Not only with you but the others as well so don't go feeling special." He explained with a chuckle at the insult. "You mean nothing to us, it's merely business."

Sadiq growled softly, the sound a human one of frustration rather than animalistic. "Why? The packs have never gathered before." He pointed out, his tone challenging.

"Ja, and you'll find out at the meeting. So are you going to agree or will we have to drag your hide in?" The Prussian growled, eyes not leaving Sadiq's in a show of dominance.

The dark skinned man remained silent for a moment before sighing, eyes not leaving the albino's. "Fine. When and where?" He growled, refusing to back down completely.

Gilbert nodded looking pleased with himself. "Five months from now, in the mountains north of here. Start at the village and follow our scent from there." He ordered. "Sound good to you?"

Sadiq nodded, a single curt shift of his head. "Fine. Now if you'll excuse me I have business back home." He growled, turning his back on the Prussian in a show of arrogance. It didn't take long for Heracles and Gupta to follow after him, both looking relieved to have gotten out of there without a fight breaking out.

Gilbert however just chuckled, no sign of unease in his stance as he glanced back at the wolves behind him. "And that's how you show a Turk who's boss!" He grinned, ruffling Francis's fur playfully when the wolf gave a small huff of amusement. "Come on, let's change back and have something to eat in celebration of how awesome I was!"

.o.)O(.o.

The food, rabbit apparently though it was slightly burnt so he couldn't be sure, tasted like ash in his mouth as he stared blankly across the fire. Gilbert didn't seem to be picking up on the mood or if he was he was ignoring it. Francis however seemed a bit more observant, noting both Lovino's expression and Antonio's absence. The Spaniard had taken his portion of food and chosen to eat elsewhere like a sulking child despite his two friends' protests.

The blond pursed his lips thoughtfully, sighing as he glanced at Lovino. The Italian looked downright miserable even without the guilt on his face. "You know mon ami; Antonio really is a very simple person to understand." He reasoned, smiling when the man looked up at him with a raised eyebrow. Apparently he wasn't in the mood for his usual insults since he remained silent, merely looking away with a sigh. "Whatever it is you said, just apologise to him and he should get past it."

"You don't think I tried that? He won't listen to me…" Lovino mumbled, giving a half-hearted glare when Gilbert laughed. The Prussian didn't seem concerned, clapping him on the back whilst still chuckling.

"Then make him listen! As scary as Antonio can be he really is a child at heart, currently a sulking child but a child none the less. I'm sure you can make him listen to you somehow, you're not a complete idiot after all!" He pointed out. Lovino wasn't sure if he should be insulted or not.

Either way he couldn't sit there forever, it wasn't like he had much of an appetite anyway…

.o.)O(.o.

"A-Antonio?" He forced out, stammering over his name slightly. He couldn't help it, the glare on the others face was rather intimidating, hell not seeing him smiling was intimidating.

"What?"

"Will you just listen to me already?" Lovino snapped, his anxiety making him lash out defensively. "I'm sorry okay?"

"And why should I believe you?"

That was it. The childish pout and the refusal to believe him were too much. If he wouldn't listen then so be it, He'd just have to show him. He wasn't sure what he was thinking, or if he was thinking at all but at least the minute his lips met the Spaniard's in a willing kiss it took the anger and hurt off the man's face. Sure it was changed to confusion but a man had to start somewhere right?

**A/N2: and their relationship is finally getting somewhere! Next chapter will either be how it's developing as they head for Asia, how Feliciano's getting on with the others or a mix of both :)**

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**DarkestDangel: hope you enjoyed the update! Thanks for the review!**

**And on another note: LadyDais has just come out with a hair of the dog side story as well so check it out :)**


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N: Took me far longer than it should have but here's the next chapter of Every dog. It's long so that should count for something even if I don't really like how the chapter turned out and the lack of Spamano.**

_Revenge returns to us, this returns to me  
We are bound to battle for eternity  
The wolf restrained in chains, draping in the deep I see  
This war will throw us corpses in a heap_

_With heavy hearts we head, on towards the end  
I've done all I can, never will I bend  
Battle clad we ride, over barren land  
Nothing matters on the battlefield we stand_

_And I heard my unborn children's Requiem_  
_I saw carved upon a stone my epitaph_  
_Sometimes it seems to me there is nothing left between_  
_Me and eternity_

_Ragnarok- Týr_

"You know you aren't welcome here Ludwig." Arthur warned, arms crossed over his chest. His emerald eyes were narrowed as they followed the movements of the four wolves in front of him. "This is our territory not yours. You've already claimed back what we held in France." He wasn't the only one who appeared wary either, Seamus and Scottie both stood stiffly by their alpha's sides and although their focus had waived at first, eyes seeking a pair of familiar faces that weren't present amongst the intruders. Ludwig, Roderich and Elizaveta however appeared calm and focused, not backing down from the challenging stares.

Feliciano however was not so calm; practically cringing behind the large blond he now called a mate. Okay, would've called a mate. Ludwig seemed to be favouring avoiding him now that he'd realised what being a mate meant. The man wasn't good at emotions and apparently running from this idea of a relationship was his way of dealing with it. That was all good and well whilst conversing with Arthur who they'd finally located in London after a week's search of the surrounding areas. They'd gotten lucky in that regard, had he been stationed elsewhere it would have taken ages for them to locate and they didn't have that time to spare.

"We are aware of that Arthur and we aren't here under those circumstances." Ludwig explained curtly. "You already know that."

"Yes, you would have brought your brother and the other two along if that were the case." The English wolf had to spit out the words, unable to name either Antonio or Francis. Bad blood still ran deep in that regard apparently. "So explain. Why have you come?"

"We request a meeting, all the packs in four months' time." The conversation was so curt, so civilised that it was hilarious to think that the individual's holding it were werewolves and by nature less than civilised.

"Where?" Scottie growled, interrupting before Arthur could speak which made the blond growl. Ludwig raised an eyebrow at the lack of respect displayed before him, he'd heard from both Antonio and Francis that the pack was disorganised but for a beta to actively disrespect an alpha in front of strangers?

"The central Apennine Mountains. Go to Rome and we'll send one of our own to guide you to the meeting place." Ludwig stated, ignoring the display before him. It appeared it wasn't over yet though seeing as the minute Arthur turned to rebuke the Scottish wolf, Seamus spoke up.

"And how do we know this isn't a trap?" Ludwig wasn't the only one with an incredulous expression now. Even Feliciano who had to have been told several times that speaking out of turn as he was wont to do wasn't appropriate in front of others raised an eyebrow, having to bite his tongue to keep from commenting.

Roderich looked to Ludwig before speaking at a curt nod from the man. "That isn't the way things are done. We have our self-respect Seamus." He stated simply. The underlying pride was apparent, the promise to remain true to the nature of what they were and not use underhanded methods to gain the upper hand. "We don't need to use such methods."

Arthur stiffened at the tone, noting the confidence and arrogance as he realised just what sort of spectacle they were creating. Ludwig's wolves appeared calm and strong whereas his own were far beyond his control. "Nor do we if that is what you're insinuating Roderich. We'll be there." He growled dismissively, glaring at his pack mates as though challenging them to say otherwise. He inwardly breathed a sigh of relief as neither spoke and merely nodded. Perhaps he could still leave this without losing face…

Ludwig nodded curtly, no emotion on his face despite being able to sway the English wolf. "Very well. We'll await your presence." He offered as Feliciano smiled happily. He probably would have broken into a few happy shouts had Roderich not subtly jabbed him in the side to remind him to remain looking dignified and confident instead of looking like an over-excited pup.

Arthur appeared to notice, looking relieved to know that not all of the wolves before him had to same cool distance that was being presented to him. The fact that Ludwig ignored the display as well offered him some insight into the newest pack member. He knew for a fact that the stern blond would never stand for such insolence which meant that the slight Italian was something more than just a pack mate. Perhaps a true mate? It was his weak spot at least. And it made him feel less like his own pack was full of misfits and better about his own lack of control over them…

.o.)O(.o.

"We really showed them didn't we Ludwig!" Feliciano grinned over a bowl of stew. He was growing tired of the basic fare but seeing as it was either that or starve he made do. When they'd finished locating everyone he'd be able to make up some proper food again so it wasn't too bad (he tried to tell himself).

Ludwig merely sighed, rubbing at his face. "Ja but you still almost managed to mess everything up." He growled, looking like he wanted to get angry but just couldn't bring it up. "The others don't attack us because we show no sign of weakness when we do come across them but if you continue acting like you did earlier they will have no reason to believe that we are strong." He explained as the Italian's smile faded. "As it was you didn't even want to come with us to the meeting!"

"But Arthur sounded scary! And I didn't do any harm did I?" He asked hesitantly, hoping he hadn't angered the man he was trying to get close to. He wondered if he should maybe hug him to show how sorry he was, it was what he'd do with his brother after all.

"…No. But that doesn't change what could have happened." Ludwig sighed, shaking his head as he quickly finished off his stew. He recognised that look in Feliciano's eyes and wanted to avoid too much physical contact. It wasn't that he disliked the man, far from it; it was just that he couldn't afford to let his emotions weaken him… It wasn't fear of how he felt either. "I'm going to try and contact my brother. You lot stay here." He ordered as he stood, stretching silently before moving to strip and shift.

Elizaveta watched him go silently before shaking her head with a chuckle. "Have you ever seen him so flustered before?" She mused, finishing off her own food and setting the bowl aside. Roderich just shook his head, appearing as though he wished to keep out of the conversation.

"Ve? What do you mean?" Feliciano asked, grabbing a second helping of stew.

"He spoke with Gilbert just yesterday. It's just an excuse so that he can get out of here for a bit." The Austrian explained as his mate nodded.

"Exactly, the man is so distant from his emotions it would be funny if it weren't so sad. He'd prefer the loneliness of ignoring you to actually giving in and feeling something for a change." She added, smiling at the Italian fondly. "He does care for you, otherwise he would have torn you a new one over acting up earlier. He hates it when things don't go according to plan."

That immediately made Feliciano smile broadly, eyes bright with happiness. "So he does care? I thought he hated having me as a mate! Ve~ He keeps on ignoring me… I wish we could be like you and Roderich! You're a perfect couple!" He practically shouted as the Austrian grumbled under his breath.

"You will be dear. We didn't have the best start either after all." The Hungarian murmured with a slight regretful tone as she smiled at her mate who sighed and returned the smile.

"What? But you seem perfectly fine! You're perfect for each other! How could you not have had a good start?" Feliciano protested, looking stunned by the possibility as the pair smiled at each other fondly.

"So easily Feli, so easily."

.o.)O(.o.

1207 AD

Elizaveta was not feminine by nature that much was certain. It was one of the main reasons why she never regretted her existence for had she remained human then without a doubt she would have been treated as an object. She would have had to have endured being dressed up in pretty dresses and acting meek and mild to whatever Lord or noble her father deemed a fitting match. Such was the life of a high born woman after all. It would have been expected of her.

But that life had never been for her and when the two strangers had rode into town, one stern and the other immediately earning stares due to his pale skin and ruby eyes she had ignored the distrust the other locals had of the strangers and did what every other individual refused to do. She'd approached them.

It had taken some work, a high born lady was not expected to partake in the same circles after all especially when her parents sought a suitable match for her but she'd managed it. Ludwig hadn't given her the time of day but Gilbert was another matter. The fact that he was viewed as dangerous, even satanic only made the interest even sweeter. This Prussian was everything her parents sought to keep away from her; he was loud, obnoxious and more than willing to indulge in a drink or three along with a roll in the sheets despite the views of the locals. And as for Elizaveta, well blatantly disobeying her parents was worth accepting his advances even if they had to be kept secret.

It had been nothing more than that at first but it had grown over the days the brothers remained in town. She'd learnt of how much the albino cared for his younger brother and his lust for life and even if the man could infuriate her she never pushed him away, finding herself quite infatuated with this stranger who was steadily becoming less so. She'd been scared of being caught, of being labelled a Harlot. What would happen if she fell pregnant? Yes she wanted a child eventually but not the bastard this strange almost wild man could only offer her.

Yet nothing had happened, she understood why now but then she'd called it luck. Until he came into her life. That had been bad luck if it had been anything.

His name was Lord Schmitter, the eldest son of a wealthy family who was due to inherit his sickly father's home. He was twice her age, thrice her weight and would doubtlessly expect her to play the role of a meek and mild wife. An object instead of the equal Gilbert viewed her as when he wasn't being an ass. But her father wished her to marry him and she would have no choice in the matter.

Gilbert had looked sympathetic when she'd told him, breaking down into unusual (well unusual for her) tears upon their meeting. He'd left the room after excusing himself, harsh German words leaving his mouth as he spoke with his brother. That speaking soon turned to shouting before finally silence as he came back into the room.

Not as a human though, instead it was a pure white wolf that strode through the door, eyes blood red and oh so familiar.

Elizaveta couldn't remember what had happened after that. All she knew was that sometime between meeting the wolf's eyes and awakening painfully she'd received the freedom she'd craved. She was no longer a slave to society under these two brothers. Ludwig had taken a few days to accept his brother's actions but had grown fond of her as the pair taught her.

She still had relations with Gilbert but soon realised how futile that was. Part of her had dreamed of starting a family with the Prussian now that she was free to make her own choices but she'd soon learnt that taming the white wolf was impossible. He hadn't been loyal to a single partner for so long and he saw the Hungarian differently to how she saw him. Anything serious was pointless and they soon left their relationship as casual to spare both heartache.

They could have stayed like that for a long time had they not stopped in a large town in central Austria. A town celebrating a man who they considered a musical genius. Roderich Edelstein was twenty and appeared to have given his life to his music. People came from all over to hear him play the piano and many female suitors longed to wed him. He was an aristocrat if there ever was one and when he locked eyes with Elizaveta, dressed in male clothes with wild hair tied back out of her face he'd understandably panicked. The Hungarian being so different to every noble women he'd ever come across would have that effect after all.

Not that Elizaveta cared. All she knew was that it was this man, not the Prussian who she had an unhealthy relationship with, who could be the man she needed. Gilbert had been confused at first to find that the Hungarian was no longer interested but not even that concerned her. No, every waking moment was spent attempting to get close to this high born musician. She attended his recitals, left gifts at his door, wrote him notes. And when all that failed she even went so far as to don one of those despised dresses, brushing her hair until it was sleek and loose, even slipping a flower into the brunette locks to show off her more feminine side out of hopes of reassuring this panicked Austrian.

By this point Gilbert had worked out exactly what was going on much to Elizaveta's horror. Ludwig as well figured it out but that didn't concern the Hungarian woman so much. The Prussian however took advantage of her mate's unease by freaking him out further, flirting with the man as though he were a pretty girl or less than straight male.

To put it lightly, Roderich was freaked out. He had a rather terrifying (if not beautiful he supposed) woman vying for his attentions along with a man who made him terrified for his virginity. Who wouldn't be terrified?

In the end he'd agreed to Elizaveta's courtship purely to try and shake off Gilbert (not that that had worked). To his surprise though the Hungarian turned out to be lovely company. She was intelligent and strong unlike the simpering maidens he'd come across before. She did and said what she wanted not what others wanted.

He didn't know how or when but he found himself falling for the woman. Foolish maybe but it had happened. He'd accepted her courting, taking her out to dinner one evening. Just a simple thing but in this one woman he found the companionship she offered over the evening enjoyable. She was funny, intelligent, strong willed and a welcoming change from the simpering maidens who'd tried to win his hand before.

Of course the evening didn't end on the same high note. No, the massive white wolf waiting on his doorstep for his return ruined it. The animal had been growling softly, ears pricked and alert. At the time he'd been sure it was aggression but now he knew better. The wolf had been playing with them, trying to get a rise out of them both but more so out of Elizaveta.

He'd done the expected thing for a man in the presence of a savage animal and a beautiful woman, shoving the Hungarian behind him as he tried to back them both away. The wolf gave a loud bark, baring sharp fangs aggressively (a teasing laugh he realised now, he'd seen it often enough). He didn't notice the sound of snapping and shifting bone and flesh until a furred form brushed past him and knocked him to the side.

One wolf had become two now, a smaller grey snarling fiercely at the larger male as she leapt forward to sink her fangs into the other's white ruff. The first wolf yelped, nipping at her flank as the grey held nothing back.

_Gilbert! I told you to stay out of this!_ Elizaveta's voice was filled with justified anger as she continued hounding the Prussian, voice unheard by the Austrian she'd been courting. _He is mine!_

_We can't stay here permanently Liz. Bite him and claim him already._ Gilbert replied, trying to fend off the enraged smaller wolf. He wasn't actively trying to hurt her or pull his rank on her, only doing what he had to to keep her from truly hurting him. Their fight was more based on frustration than anything else.

But Roderich didn't have the advantage of hearing the conversation that could have told him that. He only saw two animals fighting and the tattered remains of clothing where the woman he'd been courting had been. He could also see a piece of green cloth coiled around the she wolf's fore limb where the dress hadn't torn apart completely.

The Austrian wasn't stupid and it didn't take a genius to put the pieces together as crazy as it sounded. He'd never been one to subscribe to wives tales and superstitions but what other options were there? Unless he was going crazy which was also a possibility. Either way he didn't want to stick around to find out...

Gilbert growled softly as he nipped the back of Elizaveta's neck, not releasing her until she stilled. _Enough Liz. I'm doing this for all of us!_ He warned as the Hungarian ducked her muzzle. She still had a dominant glint in her eyes but regardless she submitted to the Prussian.

_I won't scare him like that Gilbert_. She snarled, hackles raised as she backed down.

_Too late. I think he's hiding inside._ The albino mused, licking some blood from his flank. He didn't sound concerned over the fact, more interested in examining his few wounds than the Austrian's likely terror.

Elizaveta was less than impressed however, baring her teeth before biting the Prussian's tail. _Well done. _She snapped sarcastically, sniffing the door before sighing and shifting back to human form. A locked door was a bit too much for a wolf to handle and sometimes hands could come in handy.

Her dress was in less than favourable condition but when tied around her breasts it worked well enough. She narrowed her eyes at Gilbert who was watching her with a lupine grin. "Get out of here! You've caused enough trouble already!" She snapped, bending to pick up a stone and throw it at the white wolf.

Gilbert just gave a bark that was obviously meant to be a laugh, the stone glancing off the top of his head without causing any harm. He made no move to leave though; instead he sat down and looked at her pointedly. It was obvious he was waiting to see how she would handle her scared mate.

She sighed, shaking her head as she tried the door again. Locked. She frowned as she turned aside to the window.

It turned out to be a far better choice, the window easily opened. Not so easily traversed though, it required more than a little squirming which of course led to several small laughs from Gilbert who appeared to have turned back as well.

"Graceful entry Liz." He chortled as Elizaveta yelped and fell through the window. "Now are you going to find your mate or am I going to have come in there after you and show you how it's done?"

.o.)O(.o.

Current day

"And you found him and turned him?" Feliciano asked, not sure how they could have had a bad start. It didn't sound too bad to him.

"Not quite. I understandably bolted after that and ended up being run down by a naked Gilbert." Roderich sniffed. "Next thing I knew Elizaveta came running out as well but as a wolf instead of a human and before I could protest she'd bitten me." He mused, hand going to his arm and tracing a patch of skin on his wrist. It was unmarked now but once had held his first scar from his new life.

"It was a hasty decision but if I hadn't of done it Gilbert would have." Elizaveta shrugged, smiling apologetically at her mate.

Roderich nodded, returning the smile with a sigh. "I hated her for it, all of them really even Ludwig who was nothing but helpful. I'd had everything, money, fame... Then I was left sleeping outside, feasting on meagre meals almost every day... It was a drastic change and I blamed Elizaveta for it."

"It took him over a year to come round to me." The Hungarian chuckled, hand wrapping around her mate's. "You can't fight the mate bond forever. I've even known of werewolves going as far as avoiding their chosen mate, putting as much distance between them as possible. Even that doesn't work." She mused with a sigh. There was a soft smile on her face as she held the Austrian's eyes.

Roderich nodded. "Ja. I fell for her all over again. My anger allowed me to try and fight it but I couldn't stay mad... It was impossible."

"Our problems should have ended there but they didn't..." The Hungarian sighed, her mate now looking apologetic. "I had everything, a loving mate, immortality, strength and a pack I could depend on but I wanted more. I wanted a family."

"It was the one thing I couldn't give her..." Roderich sighed. "No matter how much I wanted, want, to I can't. When we realised that that would be the case it was her turn to hate me, blame herself, blame life itself that she'd been robbed of the opportunity to be a mother."

"It was stupid but what else could I do. It would have torn us apart were we not bonded…" She shook her head with another soft sigh. "It was a huge let down for me to have the option taken from me like that." Her eyes met Feliciano's and despite the faint sadness in them there was also a steely and determined glint. "It took us years to work out our issues Feliciano. Don't let Ludwig make the same mistakes we did by pushing you away out of fear."

The Italian nodded as he realised the reason she'd told him their story. God knew he didn't want the same fate and it would appear that Elizaveta didn't want that either as her expression softened. "Just force him to accept it, show him that he can't run or ignore what he feels."

.o.)O(.o.

It was easier said than done Feliciano soon realised as his eyes never left Ludwig's still and stoic figure. The man had returned as he'd promised and now sat far from everyone under the guise of keeping watch, Elizaveta and Roderich had long since retired for the night and it was only them awake now. He sighed, shaking slightly as he stood and padded silently over to where the man sat. He tried to tell himself that this was his mate and he had no reason to be scared but it didn't help that the blond was intimidating. He didn't run though, not willing to flee from this.

"Ludwig?" He questioned softly, the fact that Ludwig didn't jump giving away the fact that he'd heard his approach. The man hummed in acknowledgement, tilting his head to look at the Italian.

"Ja Feliciano?" He eventually asked when the brunette remained silent, fidgeting slightly as he tried to get his thoughts together. He remembered his brother who was clearly succumbing to his own bond if the news they were getting from the others was anything to go by. He remembered Elizaveta and Roderich who worked through their disappointment and anger to make what they had work. Was he going to allow himself to fail where they weren't?

No. He wasn't. In fact he did something that was rather unlike him. He may have been overly affectionate but when scared he was more likely to run than face his fears, yet he still sat up slightly straighter before leaning forward to press an insistent kiss to the German's lips. He could feel the man react with surprise but that didn't stop him from smiling when the surprise faded and the kiss was returned. He could feel the silent promise behind it, _no more running_.

**A/N2: again, sorry about the wait! just started work so my time's been slashed again...**

**review replies:**

**Sassafras: Ja it is a sweet pairing :) I may favour the Nordics more these days but I still like Spamano! though I do ship everything and anything... Thanks for the review!**


	16. Chapter 16

**A/N: and it turns out I made a rather massive error in regards to Roderich's backstory. Thanks to both chibi-unicorn-girl and awesome empress for pointing it out! I never would have picked up on it otherwise! Chapter 12 has been edited to repair the error.**

**And because most people reading this tend to be of the smut liking variety, enjoy the lemon at the end. God knows I'd never write sex scenes if it weren't for you lot… You guys do know I'm either Demi or Ace right? (I'm not sure which yet…) I've got zero interest in sex…**

_Puella lupo inferno interfecta est_

Playing the obedient daughter  
Brought you where the wolf bane blooms  
Sacrificed in sacred slaughter  
'Neath the pale light of the moon  
Your form lies wreathed in ruby red  
(The crystal snow my wedding bed)  
A scarlet halo round your head  
(The scarlet halo of the dead)

My love oh I beseech thee  
(Wandering alone)  
Let thy rivers flow to feed me  
(Far away from home)  
Crimson rivers from your veins  
(Forest of the damned )  
Crimson rivers feel no pain  
(Drowning in the land)  
Your long red hair ensnares me  
(Sinking like a stone)  
Your warm red blood it calls me  
(Lost and so alone)  
My red right hand shall take thee home  
(I cannot find my way back home…)

_Wolf song- Omnia_

Things were not going well in regards to their job. Yao had been found with little difficulty (turns out he didn't trust Ludwig or Ivan and thus stuck close to the border, the fact that he had never ran into the Russian was moot point. In reality Ivan had more interest in his western neighbours than southern ones) and although he had no desire to attend the meeting they'd managed to pass on the message that Romania was off limits when it became apparent that Yao wouldn't back down. The man was suspicious but considering his territory had remained virtually unchanged for centuries it appeared to pay off.

They then should have been heading to meet up with the others only to hear word of a tiny pack near Italy which of course meant doubling back. Maybe that wouldn't have been so bad had they actually located said pack, instead they were met with the news that the pack in question had run afoul of the local witch hunts. So that was a waste of a trip...

And now they were heading for the Danish border since Ludwig had run ahead of them to speak to Ivan without them. Lovino wasn't complaining about the lack of brother stealing German but he did have one complaint...

"God dammit stop spying on us you bastards!" He shouted, glaring at the quivering bushes as he pushed Antonio away. A small yellow bird was chirping happily in front of the bushes and giving his owner away.

"Gilbird, I said stealthy..." Gilbert grumbled, slowly standing from where he'd been hiding behind the bush. Leaves littered his pale hair as he picked the young bird up to place it on his shoulder. He'd found the baby bird a few weeks back and had claimed it as his immediately. Lovino was just surprised that it wasn't dead yet, the Prussian being surprisingly good at looking after the fledgling.

"You couldn't leave him at the campsite could you Gil?" Francis asked sarcastically as he swung down from the tree he'd been hiding in.

"And let a fox get him? Hell no! Besides, he's smart aren't you Gilbird?" He cooed as the bird chirped. Lovino sighed and looked at Antonio who didn't seem concerned by the intrusion. The Italian wasn't sure who to be angrier at.

"What? You're not going to say something about this?" He asked indignantly, shoving the Spaniard's shoulder roughly as the man merely shrugged and looked at his two bickering friends.

"Can you guys not let Lovino catch you next time? I'll get blue balls if you keep this up..."

Dio he was unbelievable! All Lovino wanted was to seal the deal. What he was male, what do you expect? He'd come to terms with the fact he was doomed to damn himself and he wanted to fucking do it properly! Celibacy was not fun when you had a more than willing (and sexy he'd grudging admit) Spaniard and a good libido and were too damn tired to keep pretending you weren't interested.

But would Francis and Gilbert let them get on and fuck? Of course not. It wasn't that they were against it, far from it.

No, they liked annoying Lovino and spying on him while he was attempting to get some always did the trick. Antonio may not have cared who was watching (his two friends were hardly the kind to give personal space and commenting on one another's observed sexual flaws and abilities in public could be fun so long as they outpaced the angry, typically god-fearing villagers) but the Italian hated it. As far as he was concerned the other two could go die in the nearest ditch if they continued doing this.

"Really? 'Don't get fucking caught'? That's all you've got to say on the topic Antonio?" He spat, pushing himself to his feet with a murderous glare. "Screw it. I'm going for a run. Follow me and I'll fucking castrate the lot of you!" He snapped as he turned on his heels and stormed off. He only paused to shed his clothes at the campsite they'd picked for the night, not angry enough to consider losing the garments in the forest. God knew he didn't have enough clothing to spare by acting like that.

He welcomed the change despite the ache that it brought on. It had always been painful and it always would be so there was no point being a baby about it. Besides, what came afterwards was always worth it.

He sighed as he set up a steady lope, stretching his limbs out and relishing the twigs and breeze that grabbed at his fur. Small animals cowered in their burrows at his passing but he paid them no heed as he grumbled to himself bitterly.

_Ve~ you sound cranky fratello, what's up?_ He all but yelped at the question, not expecting the intrusion though he tried to cover that up with a growl.

_It's none of your business._ He snapped, picking up the pace. He supposed he should be glad that it was just his brother there, the others obviously absent.

_Is Antonio that bad in bed?_

Lovino choked, stumbling at the blatant (and rather vulgar considering who it was coming from) question. _W-what are you talking about?! I haven't- I mean I don't want to sleep with him!_

Sure you don't... Lovi I know you and face it you do. Nothing to be ashamed about si? Curse Feliciano and his complete lack of shame... _So why haven't you slept with him yet? It's nice!_

Because his friends are- wait! What do you mean nice?! Lovino snapped, his brother's words sinking in.

The younger Italian laughed nervously. _Well you see..._

I'm going to kill that damn potato bastard! You let him take your damn virginity just like that?!

Ve... But fratello you know I wasn't a virgin... And we both wanted to... Feliciano whined. Lovino barely paid attention though, too infuriated to care about that logic.

_Girls don't count! We both know he was your first guy! That god damn bastards going to pay!_

Are you sure you're not just angry because I got laid before you did?

That made Lovino freeze. Feliciano thought he was jealous? Why would he be jealous even if his younger and more oblivious sibling managed to successfully sleep with his emotionally stunted bastard of a mate before he (and his obviously greater intellect? Shut up, he was smarter damn it!) Managed to snag a very willing (but oblivious) Spaniard? Yes, Feliciano always did seem to get a better hand in life but that didn't mean he was jealous right?

Well shit.

_I'm not jealous damn it!_ He snapped, not wanting to focus on the possibility. _I'd have no problem bedding the bastard if I wanted to!_

Sure fratello...

Where the hell is everyone anyway? Don't you have someone else to bother?

They all went to grab supplies so I stayed at the camp!

Why so you could bug me about my unfortunate lack of sex life?

So you admit you want to sleep with him?  
  
Had Lovino been able to he would have blushed. _What?! No! Go to hell Feli!_

Ve~ Just make sure you use lube!

Screw it! I'm out of here! And tell that damn potato bastard he's a dead man!

.o.)O(.o.

True to his word Lovino was back at the campsite within half an hour, the journey remarkably longer seeing as he favoured walking back stark naked over getting more (unwanted) sex advice from his younger sibling. He gained a few weird looks from his companions at his entrance but didn't comment, merely grabbing his clothes and dressing in silence before sitting down.

Francis cleared his throat before smiling. "We may have come to the conclusion that we've been a bit hard on you..." He admitted with a sigh and a quick glare at Antonio. Now that Lovino was paying attention he could see that all three had slightly scuffed clothing as though a short fight had occurred. Apparently the Spaniard had gotten the message after all...

"Oh really? What gave you that impression?" Lovino snapped, rubbing his arms to warm up slightly. The climate here was far colder than what he was used to what with the Danish border a few days away. "I was perfectly happy with you assholes spying on us!" He added, sarcasm dripping from the words.

"Chill Lovi, Francis and I just decided that if you and Antonio want to get it on we'll let you. We'll go for a run for a few hours..." Gilbert explained, rolling his eyes as the Italian snorted. Decided his ass, convinced was more like it... Antonio could be very convincing when he wanted to be.

"Sure you will..."

"It's a promise Lovino. We can behave you know?" Like the Italian was going to believe Francis on that. Then again... His brother's suggestion that he was jealous came back to mind and he sighed.

"Fine, do what you want. See if I care bastards." He said nonchalantly. Or tried to at least, the slight blush on his cheeks gave it away that he did in fact care.

Francis and Gilbert just smirked at his blush, pushing themselves to their feet. "Have fun you two! Make sure you use lots of lube!" The Frenchman chortled, only making the Italian's blush worse. Why was everyone saying that! He wasn't a complete idiot... Or a virgin for that matter (fact it was his first time with a guy was moot point).

"Just get out of here damn it!" He shouted, glaring at the pair. They just smirked even more, somehow retaining the look even as they stripped and shifted into a pair of familiar wolves, one white and large, the other lithe and grey.

Lovino gulped as they turned tail and raced into the undergrowth. He was slightly surprised they'd listened to him and that surprise quickly turned into a rather terrifying revelation. He was finally alone with a man that wanted to sleep with him. This was actually happening.

Fuck.

.o.)O(.o.

"Relax Lovi... We don't have to do anything if you don't want to." Antonio reassured, touching the Italian's bare shoulder even as he fiddled with a bottle of oil. Lovino took a deep breath, trying to relax his tensed limbs.

"Of course I want to damn it! I've been trying to get you alone for weeks now haven't I? It's not that I'm nervous or anything, got it?" He snapped, distracting himself by slipping his pants off and setting them aside.

"Course you're not Lovi..." Antonio chuckled, tilting the Italian's face so as to look him in the eye. "I won't hurt you and that's a promise si?" He murmured, pressing a chaste kiss to the man's lips.

Well if that didn't distract Lovino nothing would as the kiss grew steadily deeper as he slowly relaxed, hand gripping the unruly brunette curls of the Spaniard. He barely even noticed as Antonio uncorked the bottle to pour the slippery fluid over his fingers or the hard earth his back was pressing into. He did however notice when a cold finger pressed against him and his legs were gently parted.

"Warning next time!" He growled between pants from their earlier bout of kissing. His lips were slightly swollen from it but he paid it no mind.

"Sorry Lovi... I'm not hurting you am I?"

"I'm not made of glass you bastard. I'm fine." He snapped. It was true, the sensation of the Spaniard's finger inside of him may have felt weird but it was by no means painful. "I'm not some human, I can take it."

Antonio nodded, ducking his head to nibble and kiss the Italian's neck, not afraid to leave painless bruises that would last for days. Already Lovino was breathing heavily, rocking back against the fingers inside of him as he fell back into the usual pattern that was sex. It may have been a different situation but the pleasure was still there. He may have been a stranger to homosexuality (or maybe bisexuality was a better word, he had no problem with women after all) but sex was nothing new.

"Hurry up damn it!" He panted, fingers digging into the Spaniard's back as he resisted the urge to touch himself. Foreplay was one thing but this was getting ridiculous. And he could tell that Antonio was just as horny as he was considering his erection was pressing into thigh. He felt the Spaniard pause and bit back a whine as the fingers were removed, wanting to protest despite knowing what would follow.

"I am." Antonio chuckled, the hardness disappearing from Lovino's thigh as he sat up to grab the bottle of oil and coat himself with it. He had to bite back a moan at the touch, feeling desperate for the contact that he had yet to feel. The Italian's fingers were gripping his arms tightly, sure to leave bruises, as he aligned himself.

There was no hesitation, no doubt over right and wrong, nothing but longing, lust and a feeling that may have been love as Antonio slipped inside Lovino. The Italian shivered at the intrusion, breathing becoming slightly more ragged at the sensation. There was some pain at the intrusion but nothing he couldn't handle. No, instead he welcomed it, thighs wrapping around the Spaniard's waist to keep him close.

A gasp left his lips as the man moved, unable to keep back a soft curse at the friction. Nor was Antonio unaffected either, Lovino's walls clinging to him as he strove to move deeper into his warmth almost making him lose his mind. Neither was new to sex but this was something else entirely.

The cry that ripped past Lovino's parted lips was slightly strangled as the Spaniard brushed against his prostate and the sound was music to his ears. He wanted more of those cries, more of those half formed curses and gasps of his name. His hand moved between them to teasingly stroke the Italian's erection and earning him a soft moan in response. He'd never seen the man in this state, completely undone and shameless beneath him and it only made him even more grateful that this man was his.

.o.)O(.o.

_Who would have thought Lovino would be that loud..._ Gilbert mused in amusement. His keen eyes shamelessly resting on his friend and the Italian as they both came down from their high. Lovino had grown progressively louder until that point and it had honestly surprised him. Yes they'd said they would give them privacy but said and do were two very different things.

Francis merely chuckled, being cautious to remain as quiet as possible so as to prevent the pair from catching the two wolves where they were hiding though his ears twitched in amusement. _I told you so. He's too much of a spitfire to not be loud mon ami. You owe me a drink by the way! _

**A/N2: Because we all know that Feliciano is far from innocent and that Gilbert and Francis are unlikely to keep that promise.**

**Review reply:**

**Blessed Rain: glad you liked it, there was no shortage of them in this chapter at least :) hope you enjoyed!**


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